Reimagined: Tough Times In Jump City
by TheForceIsStrongWithThisOne
Summary: An economic crisis affect the Titans, who are forced to move out of the Tower. A trip to a dysfunctional Azarath and a psychotic Terra are just the beginning of their troubles. Complete!
1. Chapter 1

Ok, here are standard disclaimers. I do not own, nor claim to own any rights to the Teen Titans, or any other borrowed characters. I also make no claims towards any original characters I invent for this story.

Dear readers.

As some of you already know Tough Times in Jump City was my first 'hit' story. As of this day it has accumulated nearly 19,000 hits and 188 reviews, for which I thank all of you.

That said it's been nearly a year since I wrote Tough Times and when I reread it I have found that it contains some rather serious flaws. Its form and style are rather sloppy, plus I made the mistake of extending the story with an addition that had no business being there, as well as the utterly unnecessary alternate ending.

So I'm going to rewrite this story focusing more on the central plot. This plot will not be identical to the original story and will only share the high level story with the original. The story will resemble original in the way the remake of Battlestar Galactica resembles the original series.

What this means of course is that there will be surprises that you might not be expecting in the story.

One thing I do promise to all of you BBxRae shippers: I will take more time developing their relationship and not simply marry them off in Chapter 4 or 5. I hope that you will find this story to be more coherent and enjoyable.

And if you never read the original … I hope you like the remake anyway (I will leave the original posted).

And now I give you: Tough Times in Jump City: Re-imagined. Enjoy!

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Robin stood on the Tower roof, watching the sun rise over the city he was entrusted to protect. The orange light shimmered on the city's modern skyline while its populace was coming to life and preparing to face the new day. Traffic on the bay side avenue was still light but was beginning to pick up as the early commuters were heading off to work. From his vantage point things looked normal, business as usual. But Robin knew better.

An unprecedented crime wave was engulfing his city, a crime wave that was devastating in both its breadth and depth. There wasn't a neighborhood or district that remained unaffected by the maelstrom of lawlessness that was sweeping over the city and Robin was feeling overwhelmed with the situation.

Robin knew that the root cause of the situation was the economic crisis that had the country trapped in what felt like an inescapable vise, which continued to tighten its grip, especially in the state of California. Jump City was considered by many to be the jewel of the Golden State, but it didn't escape the ravages of the 'Great Recession'. The unemployment rate was approaching 20% which was unprecedented and the citizens on the lower rungs of the economic ladder were bearing the brunt of the pain inflicted by the economic downturn that didn't want to end. It was hardly surprising that many were turning to petty crime in order to survive and the city police were overwhelmed dealing with the tsunami of delinquency. The Mayor had placed a great deal of pressure on the Titans to help push back on the epidemic of lawlessness and they had been working overtime in their attempt to contain the wave of crime, but could not keep up with what had become a challenge that was impossible to meet.

What had troubled Robin from the beginning of the crisis was the appearance and rapid growth of violent, organized gangs. In addition to the local home grown gangs there was an influx of powerful drug smuggling crime rings, which appeared seemingly out of nowhere, growing like weeds: quickly and always unwelcome. These gangs appeared to have ties to south of the border drug organizations. Under normal circumstances these gangs would no match for the Titans, but these were not normal circumstances.

There were times when 5 different alarms would go off simultaneously, forcing the team to separate with only one Titan assigned to a mission, which displeased Robin to no end. His long standing rule had forbidden solo missions as they were too dangerous. At first he had flat out refused to take that risk, but as violent crime had escalated he gave in to the Mayor's demands. And the crime had become very violent as the confrontation escalated relentlessly. Soon, military grade weaponry appeared, adding to the Titan's woes. The breadth of the crime spree had made life difficult for the Titans.

In addition to the solo missions the heroes never had time to rest and fatigue was beginning to set in and take its toll. Just months before Beast Boy had narrowly escaped a violent death when a car bomb exploded just yards away from him. He had spent two whole days recovering in the infirmary even though Raven spent hours healing his injuries.

The Titans' luck finally ran out just a few weeks later. While responding to a bank robbery Raven was ambushed. She had been horrifically wounded by machine gun fire, courtesy of a young gang banger who got lucky. She had been set up, their intention had been to murder her and they almost pulled it off.

This had been the straw that broke the Titan's collective backs. While the entire team was infuriated with what had happened to the sorceress it had affected Beast Boy the most. He had been the first one to come to her aid and had seen her attacker celebrate his good fortune. He was the one who rushed her to the hospital and had stayed by her side the entire time she was there. Raven was discharged from the ICU in just a few days and returned to the Tower with Beast Boy, who doted on her until her recovery was complete.

The fact that Raven had been ambushed by an amateur with a machine gun only confirmed what Robin already knew: the Titans were overworked and fatigued. There were days when they would get no sleep as they had back to back missions for 24 hours or more. The only thing that was truly surprising was that no had been hurt this badly before. He had spoken with Mayor about this, saying that the Titans could no longer keep up with the demands being placed on them and that from now on they would resume the buddy system, which meant that the Titans would only be able to respond at most to two simultaneous missions. The Mayor's response had been to ask Robin and Cyborg to come to his office. Robin expected that he was going to give them the hard sell to continue with the solo missions.

Today was the day they would visit the Mayor. The Boy Wonder made his way back into the Tower, as he had to prepare for the meeting.

Robin was sitting at his desk in his office, staring at the Excel spreadsheet on the screen of his laptop computer. As far as the general public was concerned Robin was a swashbuckling superhero who kicked bad guy butt and made it look easy. The truth however was that he had other duties, one of them being managing the Titan's finances, which is why he was staring at an electronic spreadsheet.

The offending worksheet was the budget sheet and it wasn't pretty. No matter how he rearranged the budget entries, massaged them or modified them the ugly truth remained: the Titans were broke and it was his fault. Had he been stricter with the budget earlier in the fiscal year he might have been able to avoid the predicament he was now facing: he had run out of money. Budget overruns had never been a problem in the past as both the state and city governments had always covered their costs, no questions asked. Unfortunately this time it was different, very different. The public treasury was exhausted as tax receipts had plummeted to previously unseen lows. There were no private sector grants available either as the private sector was hurting even more. Robin knew what this was going to mean: budget cuts and borrowing money.

The computer chimed, reminding Robin that it was time to head to city hall to meet with the Mayor. He gathered his budget printouts and headed out to the garage. As he made his way he passed Beast Boy who was walking with Raven to the common room to share a late lunch.

"I'm off to see the Mayor." He told the pair. "Glad to see you're out of the wheelchair Raven."

Robin entered the garage where Cyborg was waiting for him in the new T-Car. The previous T-Car had been destroyed two months before during a response to a bank robbery pulled off by a combined team composed of the Hive-5 and the local Crips. Gizmo had demolished the T-Car with some of his custom miniature missiles, just moments after Cyborg had ejected to safety. Cyborg himself had almost been hit by a bazooka shot during the same robbery. It had cost $400,000 to replace the T-Car and Robin was convinced that replacing the car had been a mistake.

Cyborg drove the state of the art vehicle out of the Tower's garage into the access tunnel that connected the island with the mainland. The morning rush hour had passed and Cyborg guided the T-Car to the city's downtown district. Robin had his titanium briefcase on his lap as he stared forward, as if in a trance, his eyes not focused on anything. After several minutes Cyborg cleared his throat.

"What's buggin' you man? You've been sitting there like a statue."

Robin turned to Cyborg with a slightly confused expression on his face. He then frowned as it dawned on him that he had spaced out. He never spaced out, at least not before now. He was worried, concerned about their situation. Fighting psychotic villains or monsters that oozed pus was not an issue for him. Balancing budgets, that was another matter.

"Our budget is almost exhausted Cy" Robin told the bionic Titan "Our expenses this past quarter got completely out of hand."

"So? What are they going to do?" Cyborg replied "We're indispensable. They need us. They just have to allocate more funds."

"I don't know Cy. Money's really tight for the city right now. They've been cutting non-essential expenses left and right."

"Can't Bruce help us out?"

Robin shook his head "He's been funding the Justice League for years and since the stock market crashed he's been strapped for cash. We're going to have to tighten our belts Cy." He sighed before continuing. "We shouldn't have replaced the T-Car. We're almost out of cash. I really wish we had that 400K now."

The T-Car pulled up to the new, gleaming civic center that had just been built a few years before when the economy was healthy. The city had sold $200 million in bonds to finance the modern structure. The local media had turned hostile to what they were now calling "Kristof's Folly" as the city was struggling to make the scheduled interest payments on bonds. Robin recalled how just a few years before during fatter times the media were excited about the new civic center. He also remembered that the local newspaper, the Jump City Tribune, had endorsed the project and recommended that voters approve the bond sale.

Robin knew that people had short memories and he wondered how short the Mayor's memory would be. Would he conveniently forget all the times they had protected the city, battling with Slade, Brother Blood and all the other supervillains that the local police were unable to deal with?

City hall was guarded like a fortress as they pulled in. An officer clad in full SWAT dress guided them to a visitors parking spot and escorted them into the building where they were handed off to another officer who escorted them to the mayor's office on the top floor. The building still smelled new and it was immaculate. As they were guided through the building they were met with hostile glances by city hall staffers, who would look away when Robin turned to face them. There were no amicable greetings or friendly banter as there had been in the past. The silence was deafening.

"What's their problem? " Cyborg grumbled "We put our butts on the line every day for them. You'd think they might show some gratitude."

"Didn't you read the paper this morning?" Robin replied. "The mayor announced this morning that he's reducing headcount at city hall by 20%."

"Ok, I get the picture. He's gonna tell us to make do with a budget cut. I can sell some stuff to raise some money."

"We'll go over the new budget tonight with the team; we'll find a way to make ends meet." Robin replied in a weary voice. "We might have to sell the T-Ship."

Soon they reached the Mayor's office, which in addition to having a receptionist as a gatekeeper had a contingent of 6 burly and heavily armed body guards protecting it. Robin sighed at the sign of how low the overall situation in the city had fallen.

The receptionist, a middle aged civil servant with a harsh expression looked up from her paperwork. She narrowed her eyes as she made them wait.

"You're late." She commented dryly as she rose from her chair. "Follow me."

The two heroes followed the harsh prune as she led them to the large cherry wood doors that led into the Mayor's office, which she opened with an ease that did not match her diminutive form. It was then that Robin noticed the standard issue Jump City PD pistol that was holstered around her waist.

"Robin and Cyborg have arrived for their appointment." She announced.

The Mayor was seated behind his desk, poring over various reports. He tossed aside the papers in his hands and swiveled his chair in their direction.

"Gentlemen, please have a seat. Thank you Sergeant that will be all."

The plain clothes police woman turned and began to walk out of the office, but not before making eye contact with Cyborg's lone human eye. She gave him an unfriendly smile before she walked out of the office, closing the door behind her.

Robin was the first to break the ice.

"That's a lot of muscle you have here Bill."

Mayor Kristoff opened a drawer in his desk and pulled out an unopened bottle of single malt scotch, along with 3 glasses.

"No thanks Bill, we're both still under 21." Robin replied preemptively.

"Like anyone would care." The Mayor answered him as he poured himself a shot.

"So what's the occasion?"

"Crime," He replied. "lots of crime."

He drank his shot in a single gulp.

"Do you know how bad it is Robin, let me tell you…"

He poured himself another shot.

"I had to send my family away to relatives in the Midwest. There were three attempts, three Robin, to kidnap my family. Never mind the daily death threats that I get."

"Yes Bill, I know, Raven was gunned down, remember?"

"How's she doing? Sure you don't want a snort?"

"She's improving. And no, I'm positive neither Cyborg or I want any whiskey."

The mayor gulped down his second shot, after which he put the bottle back into his desk drawer.

"I'm gonna cut to the chase. You kids have been great. You saved the city several times from thugs like Slade and Brother Blood. But I have a problem. We're not fighting Slade; we're fighting ordinary hoodlums, lots of them. What I need right now are cops, lots of cops. Right now I don't need any superheroes."

"So what are you saying Bill?" Cyborg asked uneasily, afraid that he already knew the answer.

Kristoff sighed heavily.

"I'm letting you kids go. Believe me, I didn't want it this way, but we're low on funds. I can't afford to continue bankrolling the Titans. Do you have any idea of how much you cost the city?"

"85 million a year." Robin replied in a hollow voice. "So how much can you give us? I can come up with a new budget."

"Nothing. I only have 40 million of that 85 left, and I'm going to spend it on more cops. I'm sorry Robin; I didn't want it to be this way. I'm under tremendous pressure from the citizenry to get more cops on the street. Believe me; once the economy improves I'll restore your funding."

"And what will you do if Slade or Brother Blood make an appearance?"

"That's a chance we'll have to take."

Robin sighed.

"Without a budget we can't even keep the lights on in the Tower."

Kristoff looked uncomfortable with what he was going to say next.

"You're going to have to move out. The Tower is city property and we have an interested tenant who is willing to sign a lucrative lease."

Robin stared incredulously at the Mayor. His office was opulent and elegant beyond description, as was the entire civic center. No expense had been spared.

"You're kicking us out of the Tower? And just where are we supposed to go?" The Boy Wonder snarled.

"I'm sure you'll manage."

"How long do we have to move out?"

"Three months. Look Robin, I'm no happier about this than you are. It's just the way it is."

Robin and Cyborg stood up simultaneously.

"We'd better start making preparations." Robin said in a distant voice. "What about our credit cards?"

"Cancelled, I'm afraid." Kristoff replied. "And the team checking account is cancelled as well. Sorry."

As they made their way back to the T-Car Robin tossed his now useless spreadsheets into a nearby trash can. It was getting late in the afternoon and he felt his stomach growl. It was then that he remembered that it was his turn to prepare dinner. He thought about calling back to the Tower to trade with someone until he realized that would be either Beast Boy, Raven or Starfire.

"Cy, we need to stop and pick up some pizza for dinner."

The Boy Wonder pulled his wallet out and discovered to his dismay that all it contained was a now useless credit card.

"Cy, do you have any cash on you?"


	2. Chapter 2

Ok, here are standard disclaimers. I do not own, nor claim to own any rights to the Teen Titans, or any other borrowed characters. I also make no claims towards any original characters I invent for this story.

* * *

Beast Boy channel surfed listlessly, unable to find a show that could hold his attention. The golden rays of the late afternoon sun filled the common room with their warm caress. It had been a quiet day as the Mayor gave them a temporary reprieve from their duties when he called Robin and Cyborg in for an impromptu meeting.

Beast Boy for one welcomed the break, however short it was. The workload had been grueling, even though they now worked in pairs on missions. Robin had wisely chosen to pair him up with Starfire, knowing that being paired up alone with his shapely girlfriend would have been excessively distracting.

And Starfire was shapely. Now that they were fully nineteen years of age the two female Titans were no longer girls. This fact had not been lost on Beast Boy either as he wrapped an arm around Raven.

Raven was sitting next to him on the crescent shaped couch. The two had shared a simple lunch together, after which they made themselves comfortable in front of the giant television. She had sat quietly, reading a book as she usually did. While she had made remarkable progress with her recovery she would still tire easily, especially after a meal.

Starfire entered the common room and smiled, as she saw Raven's head resting on the changeling's shoulder. She silently glided over to get a better look at the chromatically challenged couple. Raven had fallen asleep with her book on her lap. Beast Boy looked up at Starfire and handed the TV remote control to the princess.

"500 channels and there's nothing on." He whispered to her.

Starfire took the clicker from him and turned off the TV.

"I see that Raven still requires the afternoon nap." She commented.

Beast Boy nodded.

"I should take her back to her room, but I'd probably just wake her up." He said as he gently caressed her somnolent face with the back side of his hand. "She's stopped taking vicoden, so she doesn't sleep as deeply when she naps."

Starfire sat down next to the green boy.

"So have you asked her yet?" She inquired.

He shook his head.

"No, not yet. I don't know Star, what if she says 'no'?"

The Tamaranian smiled.

"She will not do that."

"It … it just seems so soon, like I'm jumping the gun. What if she doesn't want to be my girlfriend?"

"It is not a race friend. But do not worry; no one is closer to her than you. I am convinced that she has recovered so quickly because of your attentiveness and care."

Beast Boy sighed.

"It feels like a dream Star. I love her and but I haven't told her yet."

"She knows, Beast Boy, she knows. And I am happy that what started as a nightmare for all of us is now a dream."

Beast Boy turned back towards Raven's face. She looked so peaceful, even dainty, as she continued to sleep. Quite a contrast from that terrible day, a day that was etched into his memory, permanently marked as if by a branding iron, and just as painful. The flashbacks kept coming back, not just for Raven, but for him as well.

* * *

The day had started out like all the others since the crisis arrived: it began early. Beast Boy's first mission of the day had been an armored car robbery in the downtown area. Robin responded to a gang shootout in a residential neighborhood, Cyborg to a convenience store robbery and Starfire to an incident at the shopping mall. Raven's mission was also in the downtown area, a jewelry store was being burglarized.

As usual the Titans were operating under a sleep deficit and none of them were functioning to the fullness of their abilities. Still, duty called and as Cyborg would say every morning "Hey, they're just a bunch of punks, how hard can it be?"

In a way he had been right once again that morning. Beast Boy's mission had been completed without incident. The robbers were a group of inexperienced but over armed teens who did not hesitate to use their military grade weaponry. It troubled the Titans, but especially Robin, that they could not find out how the street gangs were acquiring their deadly arsenal. It was painfully obvious that these kids were merely pawns in a game and were being supplied by someone who stood to gain if the city was destabilized. But worst of all, whoever their benefactor was, he covered his tracks perfectly, leaving no traces to follow.

Beast Boy was in the zone that morning and was easily able to avoid being the young punks' attempts to neutralize him. He quickly shifted between animal forms, favoring the hummingbird to get close to an opponent before switching to another form to quickly subdue him. After subduing four robbers the remaining thugs realized it was a lost cause and they fled the scene, leaving behind their heavy weapons so as not to be slowed down by the burden of carrying them.

He had the subdued miscreants tied up before the police backup arrived. The changeling watched full of self satisfaction as the police booked the robbers. He then reached for his communicator to see what was scheduled next on his mission roster. Much to his surprise there was nothing in his queue. It was nearly lunchtime and he decided to give Raven a hand, not that she really needed one. He was thinking of inviting her to lunch afterwards since they were already downtown. He'd even let her pick where to eat.

As he moved to place his communicator back in his utility belt he heard the communicator emit a tone he had only ever heard before in training: the distress signal. Beast Boy's heart froze as he pulled the communicator back out. The distress signal meant only one thing: a Titan was down, seriously injured.

The communicators were setup to monitor their owner's vital signs and if one ever detected any form of severe distress it would warn the rest of the team. The first time it had even been used was when the car bomb had nearly killed him a few weeks before. It was fortunate that the distress signal was automatic as the explosion had rendered him unconscious almost instantly. The only memory he had of the incident was the loud sound of the blast and the shock wave that followed which reverberated through his body. His next memory was waking up in the infirmary with Raven hunched over him, sweating profusely as she worked through his injuries with her healing blue light. It was only many days later that he learned that she had spent two straight days healing his many internal injuries. That incident had been a turning point in their friendship when she had surprised him with the genuine concern she had shown him.

Beast Boy flipped his communicator open and checked the source of the SOS. He felt his windpipe tighten when he saw that it was Raven who needed help.

"Raven! This is Beast Boy! Can you read me Raven?" He called out to her repeatedly over the communicator. There was no answer. The communicator showed that she was a mere 5 blocks away. Without even thinking the changeling morphed into a cheetah and took off. Stretching the muscles in his now graceful feline figure he sprinted and was soon running at 70 miles per hour. The downtown blocks were long and the green cheetah was beginning to feel winded but did not relent and continued to race as fast as he could. His muscles roared in protest but he ignored their complaints as he sped through the downtown district, dodging vehicles and pedestrians as he hurled through the urban canyon of high rises and skyscrapers. As he approached the coordinates the only thing he could see was what appeared to be a teenager in an alley who was wearing a Honduras soccer jersey. The youth was performing a victory dance, pumping one of his hands in the air in a gesture of triumph while he held a compact machine gun in his other hand. The cheetah changed his direction and charged at the boy. As he got closer he saw that Raven was sprawled on the ground at the gang banger's feet. The changeling felt a wave of pure and unadulterated rage course through his body at the sight of Raven's supine form. The punk would pay for what he had done to Raven.

The young hoodlum saw the green feline charging at him and grinned as he aimed his weapon at Beast Boy and began to fire. The changeling had anticipated this action and had already begun to morph into a triceratops. The bullets impacted against his massive dinosaur skull, ricocheting in all directions. While the injuries they caused were not serious they were still painful, but Beast Boy ignored them as he continued to charge at the murderous gunman, aiming his three sharp horns at him.

The young gangster saw that Beast Boy was prepared for him and quickly intuited what his intention was: to impale him. So he made a quick decision: he fled. Dropping his machine gun he ran away as fast as he could. As he rounded the corner he saw that what he had hoped for: Beast Boy slid to a stop next to Raven and morphed back into his human form. He continued running and never looked back

The sight that greeted the changeling was gut wrenching. Raven was lying on the ground, crumpled like a rag doll. The abdominal section of her leotard was soaked in her blood, which was dripping onto the ground and was beginning to form a small pool under her.

The trauma training that Robin had drilled into them over the years kicked in. The changeling instinctively reached for Raven's neck. There was still a faint pulse.

_Thank you God, thank you._

Beast Boy knew that she wouldn't last long in her condition as she had lost copious amounts of blood and was in shock. There was a hospital 3 blocks away and he knew that there was no time to waste. Morphing into a pterosaur he gently picked up the gray girl with his talons and flew off to the emergency room, flapping his huge wings as he slowly lifted off from the ground. He could feel the reptilian heart pounding in his chest as precious time slipped away. He quickened his pace, flapping his featherless wings harder and harder. Within a couple of minutes he saw the entrance to the Emergency Room.

As luck would have it there was gurney outside which was being returned to an awaiting ambulance. The green pterosaur swooped down towards it. The paramedics saw the flying dinosaur approach and retreated back into the relative safety of the hospital entrance, not realizing that it was the green Titan. Beast Boy flapped his wings vigorously as he slowed down and hovered over the gurney. He deftly deposited Raven's unconscious figure onto the wheeled bed after which he alighted next to her, morphing back into his human form.

Seeing that there was no one nearby to assist, he wheeled the gurney through the emergency room's entrance.

"Help! Please help us! Raven's been shot!" He screamed in despair. Two doctors and a triage nurse appeared out of nowhere.

"What happened?" The senior physician asked as they began to examine her.

"We're taking her into the OR #2" The other doctor shouted as the ER suddenly came to life as the staff began to run around in a whirlwind of activity that appeared to be random but was actually well coordinated.

"A gang banger shot her with a machine gun." The changeling replied. "You guys can save her, right?"

The two physicians continued to examine Raven's wounds as she was carted into operating room #2.

"We'll do everything we can Beast Boy. Nurse! Get him into some scrubs!" The younger doctor responded.

Beast Boy watched mesmerized as the trauma team moved Raven from the gurney to the operating table while nurses were busy getting IV catheters into her arm, putting an oxygen mask and an SpO2 sensor on her while two other nurses began to cut away her blood soaked leotard with scissors. He felt a tap on his shoulder and yet another nurse helped him slip on some sanitized scrubs over his Doom Patrol costume. As soon as he was done he turned back to Raven who had been stripped naked. He stared in horror at her torso. Most of the bullet wounds were in her gut but he saw at least 3 in her chest. Another doctor came charging in with a portable x-ray machine and they took a few quick shots, which within a few seconds appeared on an LCD display. The two surgeons examined the images.

"She has two bullets in her right lung, and it's collapsed. Another bullet's in her liver, the rest are in her abdomen. What are her vitals?"

"65 over 30, pulse is 60 beats per minute." A nurse answered.

"Not good. We need t get started immediately. Is the ECG ready?"

"It's in place doctor." Another nurse answered as the familiar symphony of cardiac beeps began to fill the room.

Beast Boy watched silently as Raven was prepared for surgery. She was quickly covered in heated blankets and IVs were connected to her catheters. As soon as she was intubated the surgery began. The doctors tackled her damaged lung first and within a few minutes they had extirpated the first bullet. The second bullet had penetrated deeper and it was taking them longer.

"Doctor, her blood pressure is falling and her heart rate…"

The nurse was interrupted by the alarm on the ECG, which meant one and only one thing: Raven had flat lined.

"She's in cardiac arrest! 10 ml of adrenalin!" The chief surgeon commanded the nurse who had anticipated this moment and who was ready with the syringe. The doctor injected the hormone into Raven's chest.

Beast Boy felt his heart leap into his throat. This couldn't be happening, it couldn't. Raven had cheated death before. She had survived turning into the portal. No one had ever been able to hurt her before, not like this.

The changeling dropped his head as bitter tears began to flow from his eyes. It wasn't fair; Raven had always been so selfless, so devoted to protecting the city without giving a second thought to her own safety. Was this how fate was going to repay her, to die a pointless death in an operating room?

"I think we got something doctor, a pulse. It's faint, but it's getting stronger."

Beast Boy let out a sigh of relief while the surgeons continued their work.

* * *

The green Titan snapped back into reality and saw that Raven was still leaning against him, snoring softly, a sound he was grateful to hear. Her unique aroma of lavender and jasmine wafted into his nostrils and he slowly savored the sweet smell, a scent that had almost perished with her in that emergency room just a few weeks before.

What had truly irritated the changeling were the incessant queries from the Mayor's office as to when Raven would return to active duty. As Beast Boy fantasized about what he would do to the Mayor if he pestered the Titans about Raven's status just one more time the sliding doors opened and he was able to detect his second most favorite aroma in the whole world: pizza!

As he turned around he saw Robin drop several boxes of pizza on the dinette table in the kitchen while Starfire flitted over to the cabinet where they kept the paper plates, napkins and disposable cups. Cyborg fetched a few two liter bottles of soda pop. He noticed that both Robin and Cyborg were both sporting a hang dog expression on their faces as they sat down without having even greeting anyone. He turned back to the gray sleeping beauty next to him and gently roused her.

"Raven, it's dinner time, wake up."

The sorceress opened her eyes and she looked irritated.

"Don't tell me I feel asleep again." She complained as she wiped her mouth with the backside of her hand. "I drooled on myself." She moaned with a hint of disgust.

Beast Boy helped her get on her feet.

"Just because you're out of the wheelchair doesn't mean you're done healing." He gently chided her.

"Yes Dr. Beast Boy." She replied with a hint of sarcasm in her voice. Still she hooked her arm around his as he led her to the table. As he pulled a chair for her she noticed Robin's grim expression. She followed up by scanning him with her empathic perception and sensed the mix of turmoil and despair seething within him.

"Robin, what's the matter?" She asked.

"Yes Robin, what troubles you my boyfriend?"

Robin shook his head.

"It's nothing that concerns you guys. The Mayor dropped a tough nut to crack on my lap. It's my problem, so forget about it. Now let's eat before the pizza gets cold." He answered in a monotone drone.

The others had known the Boy Wonder long enough to see that he was covering something up, but they let it slide for the moment. There would be time to grill him later after dinner.

* * *

The brooding figure sat on the large throne like chair, fingers drumming on the large armrest. The room was large and dark with an oppressive atmosphere in the air. The only sound was that of gears turning, relentlessly, never stopping. The finger drumming stopped when a door was opened. A large man, wearing Salvadoran gang colors entered the room, followed by two other men who were dragging a terrified teenager by under his arms. He was wearing a Honduras soccer jersey.

"We found Humberto." The first man broke the silence.

"Where was he?" The room's master asked.

"We found him in Calexico. He was going to cross the border into Mexicali."

The figure rose out of the chair.

"Well done Javier." The figure said as it approached the boy.

"You failed me Humberto."

"Please forgive me boss, I tried, I really tried."

"No, you didn't." The menacing figure rebuked him. "My men told me what happened, they saw everything. Instead of finishing her off and leaving immediately like I told you to do, you did a stupid victory dance. You lingered long enough for the changeling to arrive. And then you had the gall to shoot him too, violating my direct orders."

"I'm sorry boss, he caught me by surprise."

"And he got a good look at you. It's a good thing we found you first or you would have told the Titans everything. Our entire operation would have been compromised."

"Please jefa, you know I wouldn't do that!" He pleaded.

"That's a risk I can't afford to take. Javier, you know what to do." The master ordered in a voice that was cold and devoid of emotion.

The large man nodded and pulled out a pistol was tucked into the waist of his pants. He gestured at the other two men who proceeded to drag the terrified boy out of the room. Humberto began to scream.

"Noooo! Please don't kill me! I'm sorry!"

The men ignored him and closed the door behind them. His pleas for mercy continued until a single gunshot was heard. After a long moment Javier came back into the room.

"What shall we do with the body?"

"Dump it downtown. Let it be a warning to anyone refuses to obey my orders to the letter."

"Si jefa. I'll do it right away."

Javier left the room leaving the brooding figure alone.

_That imbecile, I told him not to harm Beast Boy._

Terra returned to her throne and began to drum her fingers once again.

* * *

The Titans finished their meal in relative silence. There was a certain tension in the air, hanging over the team. Throughout the meal Raven continued to sense Robin's dread while Beast Boy was able to detect it with his animal senses. Starfire knew her boyfriend all too well to not notice that something was very wrong. As Beast Boy collected the now empty pizza boxes and the paper plates Raven broke the silence.

"What's going on Robin, and don't say it's nothing? I've never sensed this kind of unease from you."

"Raven is correct. What is troubling you my beloved? I am not an empath like Raven, but even I can tell that something is very wrong."

"Yeah dude, what's wrong? You know you can trust us."

Robin sighed as he rubbed his eyes.

"We've been fired."

"WHAT!" Raven shrieked.

"What are you talking about dude?"

"Fired? What does that mean? I do not see any combustion in the Tower. This is one of your Earthly slangs, correct?"

Raven replied in her monotone.

"It means we have been dismissed Starfire. We are no longer the city's guardians."

The princess looked troubled and confused.

"But why? Have we done something wrong?" She asked.

Robin heaved an even bigger sigh.

"We spend too much money."

"We what?" Beast Boy asked in astonishment.

"The city is bankrupt guys; they can't afford to bankroll the team anymore. We're on our own."

"And what exactly does that mean?" Raven asked.

"It means we have three months to move out of the Tower and we won't get a single penny from the city anymore." Cyborg interjected.

"I hope you guys have some money saved. The city has closed all our accounts and credit cards. All we've got left is the money in the petty cash box." Robin added.

Beast Boy sat back down next to Raven, looking thoroughly dejected. He dropped his head on the table.

"No way, they can't fire us, they can't."

Raven placed a comforting hand on the changeling's shoulder.

"I've saved most of my stipend allowance over the years. I almost have $100,000." She replied.

"I have $30,000." Beast Boy added.

"I'll see if Batman can send us a cash advance. I'd rather not tap into anyone's personal savings if it can be avoided." Robin said in a hollow voice. "Of course all missions are cancelled."

The Boy Wonder looked up at his shell shocked team.

"Go rest, we'll talk more about this tomorrow."

Robin stood up and slowly walked away. Starfire had never seen him look so crushed, so dejected. She hovered over to him and hooked her arm into his. He turned and wrapped his arms around her.

"Come with me Robin, I do not wish to be alone tonight."

The Boy Wonder nodded in agreement and the couple exited the room in silence.

Cyborg stood up next.

"I'm going out."

"Where?" Beast Boy asked.

"I don't know … somewhere." He responded as he too left the room.

Beast Boy threw his head back and groaned.

"This blows, what are we gonna do?"

Raven took his hand and squeezed it.

"Robin's right. Let's not think about this until tomorrow."

He nodded at her.

"So what do you wanna do?"

"Let's watch a movie."

Beast Boy's ears perked up.

"I'll make popcorn! What do you wanna watch?"

Raven walked over to the case where they kept their vast collection of discs.

"How about this one? It's called 'Spirited Away'."

Beast Boy tossed the popcorn packet into the microwave and pressed the 'Popcorn' button.

"That's an awesome movie; I think you'll actually like it."

Raven gave him a small smile.

"Meet me in my room, we'll watch it there. And wear something comfy."

"You mean like pajamas?"

"Pajamas would be nice." She said as she walked out of the room.

Beast Boy felt the hairs stand on the back of his neck. She had asked him to come to her room, in pajamas! He couldn't believe his luck.

He was snapped out of his revelry when the microwave oven beeped, indicating that the popcorn was ready. He quickly poured the bag's contents into a large bowl. He then opened the fridge and grabbed a six pack of cola and dashed out of the kitchen.

* * *

Raven had already changed into her pajamas, loaded the disc into the player, pulled extra pillows out of her closet and was now sitting on her bed when there was a knock on her door. Using her dark energy she opened it. Beast Boy peered nervously into her abode. He was wearing a fresh pair of pajamas and was carrying a tray with the snacks and refreshments. He smiled at Raven and she responded by patting the spot next to her, inviting him to join her on the bed. He put the tray down on the night stand and hopped onto the bed.

"Comfy?" She asked as she grabbed the disc player's remote control.

Beast Boy summoned every ounce of courage he had. He had no idea what was going to happen next but he also knew that this was not the time to be timid.

"Uh sure … uh Rae, before you start the movie I want to ask you something."

Raven stared into his eyes. She could see the remnants of the scars on his face from the gunshots he had taken in triceratops form.

"Relax Beast Boy, I can tell you're about to jump out of your skin. What's the matter?"

The changeling took several deep breaths, calming himself before replying.

"Rae would you like to be my girlfriend?" He asked at a near supersonic speed.

"Whoa, say that again." She replied, wishing to be sure she had understood what he had said.

Beast Boy took another deep breath.

"Sorry. Ok, here goes. Will you be my girlfriend Raven?"He asked again, carefully enunciating each word.

Raven remained motionless for a moment. She then leaned forward and kissed him chastely on the lips. After that she picked up the clicker and started the movie. Beast Boy stared at her in disbelief as he leaned back against the pillows. Raven made herself comfortable, snuggling up with him.

_Dude!_


	3. Chapter 3

Ok, here are standard disclaimers. I do not own, nor claim to own any rights to the Teen Titans, or any other borrowed characters. I also make no claims towards any original characters I invent for this story.

* * *

"Yes Bruce I understand … it's OK, whatever you can send us will help … yeah, we're keeping the T-Ship, but that's because it was paid for by STAR Labs … and I appreciate the offer to come back to the manor … what's that? … the whole team can come? … thanks Bruce, I'll try to keep it from coming to that … say hi to Alfred … and thanks again."

Robin hung up the phone. While going back to Gotham wasn't his first choice it was at least a safety net in case he couldn't find a new source of funding.

The Boy Wonder turned his attention back to his laptop as he worked on a new threadbare budget for the Titans. He picked up his mug of coffee and grimaced upon sipping it, as it had been cold for almost an hour now, its cold bitter taste was as unpleasant as the situation before him. It was midmorning and Starfire was cleaning up in the kitchen after the breakfast he had cooked for the two of them. She noticed as he shoved the cold beverage aside and poured him a fresh cup, which she brought to him at the table.

"Have you completed your calculations Robin?" She asked as she sat down next to him, still dressed in her nightgown. Robin had already changed into his signature traffic light costume after spending a chaste night with his girlfriend. The pleasant night they had spent together was now but a fleeting memory as the difficult present reasserted itself in his mind.

"I think we can run the team for $3 million a year. Bruce has an empty warehouse here in the business district. It won't be as fancy as the Tower but we should be able to convert it into a livable headquarters. The only thing is it'll cost about 1 million to gut it and remodel it, and that's just for the materials."

Starfire listened intently as he continued.

"I'll see if I can get any local businesses to sponsor us, Bruce said he could give $500,000 a year, more when the economy improves. I just hope I can raise the rest. Did you see the business section in the paper today? Five of the largest local companies here in town have filed to reorganize under bankruptcy protection, and there are three more are going out of business. Getting the rest of that money is going to be like pulling teeth. And even if we can get the money there are other issues…"

"Which issues are these Robin?"

"Well, for starters the warehouse would be nowhere as secure as the Tower. We can't even take the alarm systems with us, so Cyborg would be wiring the place on a shoe string. If this gang war gets worse we would be sitting ducks. And speaking of which, a lot of businesses will be afraid to support us out of fear of retaliation from the gangs."

Robin stopped his report as he noticed that Starfire looked extremely disturbed.

"Robin, why did this happen? Why are there now so many more criminals in Jump City? What has happened to our home?"

The sound of the fax machine warming up interrupted Robin's response. The Boy Wonder walked over to the device, waiting for it to print a hardcopy of the incoming facsimile. The fax began to make the telltale whirring sounds indicating that it had begun to print and a single sheet came out. Robin picked it up and read it, frowning once he was done. He handed the sheet to Starfire.

"You're right Star, something's happened to our city."

The princess read the fax and gasped.

* * *

It was dark in the room and Beast Boy was feeling happy and cozy snuggled in bed, which is the way he usually was every morning. The Tower was silent, the mission alarms had been turned off and other than having breakfast there was no compelling reason to get up. Still it was midmorning and even the changeling had had enough sleep and was slowly beginning to beginning to wake up.

He stretched lazily and yawned as he slowly became lucid. That was when he smelled that wonderful aroma of lavender and jasmine. That was when he fully became awake.

_I'm not in my room._

The changeling opened his eyes and scanned his surroundings. At first it was blurry but he vision soon came into focus. The first thing he saw was the massive bookcase which was loaded with strange books and artifacts that defied description.

_I'm in Raven's room._

The green Titan began to panic. He had no recollection of getting under the covers or spending the night with his new girlfriend.

_I'm in Raven's bed. She's gonna kill me when she wakes up! How did this happen?_

Beast Boy was facing away from the center of the bed. He slowly turned around and saw that Raven wasn't on the other side of the bed.

"Good morning Gar, did you sleep well?"

Beast Boy nearly leaped out of the bed, clearly startled by Raven's greeting. She was still in her pajamas and was levitating in the lotus position at the foot of the bed.

"I-I'm sorry, I didn't mean to … I mean I wasn't trying to … I don't know how this happened."

Raven lowered herself back onto the bed's surface. Had Beast Boy not been so terrified he might have chuckled at her appearance: her pajamas were rumpled and she had a severe case of bed head.

"It's OK Gar; you fell asleep before the movie ended, so I tucked you in. Oh, and you were right, I liked it a lot. We'll have to watch some more Miyazaki movies."

Beast Boy let out a sigh of relief.

"So what do we do now Rae? I'm not used to being unemployed."

"Is that going to be your pet name for me? You can't seem to stop calling me that."

"At least it doesn't sound dorky like Gar or Garfield."

"That is your name … Gar." She replied with a sly smile.

"It still sucks … can I call you 'Rae-Rae'?"

"No, I forbid you to use that pet name. I hate it."

"Not even in private?"

"Not even in private. You can call me Rae, take it or leave it." She replied in her monotone.

The changeling smiled.

"I'll take it."

"Smart man." She replied as she wrapped her arms around him and kissed him.

Beast Boy felt a bolt of lightning shoot up and down his spine. He quickly recovered and wrapped his arms around her; they continued to kiss, still chastely but with a little more passion than the night before until they were interrupted by the sound of Raven's communicator chiming.

The two ceased their polite make out session and Raven picked up her communicator which was resting on her nightstand. Flipping it open she saw Starfire's irrepressibly cheerful face.

"Greetings friend. Robin will be holding a team meeting in thirty minutes. He asked me to notify you so that you would have enough time to get ready."

Raven sighed. Fun time was over, and now they would have to face the grim reality.

"I'll be there Starfire. Thanks for letting me know."

"I welcome you." The princess replied. "And tell Beast Boy to not be late as well. Did you slumber well together?"

A look of shock was plastered on Raven's face.

"H-How did you know?" She stammered.

Starfire merely giggled before severing the link. The communicator screen now displayed the Titan's logo.

"So the cat's out of the bag?" He asked.

"I'm afraid so."

"So what? We didn't do anything wrong."

Raven cupped his face with her hand.

"You're right. And thanks for being a gentleman Gar. That was my first make out session and your hands didn't misbehave."

Beast Boy chuckled nervously.

"It was my first time too."

Raven giggled.

"So we're no longer 'make out virgins'?"

Beast Boy blushed.

"I guess not. I'd better go back to my room to get ready. I'll meet you in the common room."

She nodded.

"One more thing Gar."

"Yeah?"

"Public displays of affection. I think we should go … slow with that for now, OK?"

"Sure, I understand. You just let me know what you're comfortable with."

"OK" She replied, followed by a quick kiss.

He smiled at her before he ran out of the room. She then looked around her sanctum. Everything was in its place and nothing was broken. Definitely a good sign.

Raven got up from her bed and marched into her bathroom.

* * *

Raven was the last to arrive for the meeting. Beast Boy had prepared her a small breakfast, using what Cyborg called 'real ingredients and none of that tofu crap'. Raven thanked him and sat down. She had been expecting Robin and Cyborg to begin teasing her and Beast Boy over their now exposed secret, but nothing of the sort happened. Much to her surprise Robin looked grim as he pulled out a fax from his briefcase. Starfire's demeanor was subdued. This could only mean one thing: bad news. Robin cleared his throat.

"Beast Boy, do you remember the gang banger who shot Raven?"

"How could I forget him?" He replied morosely. "I'll never forget his face."

Robin bit his lower lip before pulling a photograph out of his briefcase.

"Is this the gunman?"

Beast Boy took the picture from Robin's hand and reviewed it carefully. The picture had been taken at the local morgue and there was no doubt in his mind that the kid in the photo was dead. After a minute he nodded and handed the picture to Raven who frowned as she looked at it.

"It's him alright. What happened to him?"

Robin stood up and began to pace around the room.

"The report says they found him this morning in the same alley where Raven was shot."

"Found him?" Raven asked.

"Dead." Robin clarified. "He was executed. A single gunshot to the back of his head."

Raven tossed the photo back onto the table.

"A gang style execution, here in Jump City?" She asked.

"I'm afraid so Raven. Now we'll never know who he worked for."

"And they're firing us?" Beast Boy asked incredulously.

Robin sat back down in his chair. He felt a shiver go down his spine. He was their leader and they were the city's protectors and guardians. And yet he had never felt so powerless. Rejected by the people he had sworn to protect he felt ineffective and for good reason. This was the first time in his career that he was unable to stop the criminals. One by one he looked his friends in the eyes.

Starfire: the eternal optimist and his number one fan. He could do no wrong her eyes and yet … he had.

Beast Boy: The Titan who shared his painful past, the loss of his parents. Nothing ever seemed to affect him, and yet now … he could see the distress in the green hero's eyes.

Cyborg: His second in command, who would follow him into hell if asked. Was it doubt he now saw in his human eye?

And then there was Raven: Dark and inscrutable. She could have been his twin sister. He had gotten to know her very well over the years and could read beyond her blank emotional façade. She too was disturbed by what was happening in their city and shared his anger towards the ingrates who had sent them packing.

Robin jerked his head, snapping himself back to the meeting.

"The mayor says he needs cops now, not superheroes."

"He's a fool." Raven hissed. "Can't he see that a supervillain has to be behind everything that's happening?"

Robin shook his head.

"No he's not a fool, he's a politician."

"Same difference." Beast Boy retorted.

"I don't disagree with you Beast Boy, but that doesn't change anything. We have to be out of the Tower in three months."

"So what are our choices?" Cyborg interjected.

Robin pulled a blueprint out and unrolled it on the table.

"We move into this warehouse …"

Beast Boy peered over Robin's shoulder and read the legend on the blueprint.

"Dude, it says here that it's in the Harbor district. That place is a dump. Even a loser like Control Freak has nicer digs than that!"

Robin stiffened but chose to ignore the changeling's outburst.

"Like I said, we move into this warehouse … after we remodel it. It belongs to Bruce Wayne and he will give the title to us plus $500,000 to start remodeling it. We'll need to raise another 500 thousand to compete the refurbishment …"

"Will we be safe there Robin?" Raven interrupted. "A warehouse right in the middle of town will be an easy target for gangs. I don't see how we could keep our location a secret. And it doesn't look very robust. At least here on Titans Island we have the bay surrounding us."

"Yes Raven, that has been taken into consideration. Anyway, once we move in we'll need an annual budget of 3 million dollars to operate."

"Dude, where are you going to get that kind of money from?

Robin stood up again.

"Cyborg and I are going to canvass the local business community asking for sponsorships."

"How the mighty have fallen." Raven muttered under her breath.

"I don't hear any ideas from you Raven!" Robin snapped at her.

The sorceress shuffled in her chair.

"I apologize Robin; I just don't like this situation we're in."

"Neither do I Raven." He paused as he prepared to make his pitch.

"Listen guys, it won't be a 'dump'. We're gonna spend 1 million remodeling the warehouse. Sure, it won't be as nice as the Tower, but it will be comfortable" He said as he looked at Beast Boy. "Also, this is no ordinary warehouse. Wayne enterprises stored some very secret stuff there at one time. It isn't a place where they kept tires or containers of junk imported from China." He said as he switched his view to Raven. "It's a pretty secure building."

"What will happen to us Robin if we cannot do the raising of the money? I would ask Galfore for assistance, but Tamaranian law forbids giving money to alien governments."

Robin frowned.

"If it comes down to that we'll look for other options. If all else fails we have an open invitation to move to Wayne Manor."

Raven crossed her arms.

"And then what? And we all become the Bat's sidekicks? No thanks!"

"I'm open to suggestions Raven." Robin said in his own monotone.

"We'll come up with some." She replied. "Come on Gar, let's go."

Cyborg raised his human eyebrow.

"Come on Gar, let's go?" He repeated. "Is there something going on that we don't know about?"

Raven whirled around and glared at Starfire.

"So I take it you haven't told them yet?"

The princess giggled while she shook her head.

"Told us what Raven?" Robin asked.

Raven studied Robin and Cyborg's faces carefully. Cyborg was beginning to smile while Robin looked completely befuddled. It was true; the Boy Blunder didn't have a clue when women were involved. The only reason Starfire was his girlfriend was because of her own undying devotion to a certain Richard Grayson.

"Gar is now my boyfriend. I don't want to hear any wisecracks, puerile comments or any other demeaning remarks from either of you. And you Starfire, will you please stop gushing! One would think that Gar was your boyfriend and not mine."

After having her say Raven grabbed Beast Boy's hand and literally dragged him out of the common room, the sliding doors swishing shut behind them. The young men turned to each other and began to laugh. Starfire was not amused.

"Why are you laughing? Are you laughing at our friends?"

Cyborg was the first to pull himself together.

"Come on Star! Raven and the Grass Stain? I've got $50 that says they won't last more than two weeks."

Starfire looked indignant.

"I will acquire that wager." She harrumphed. "And I expect to be paid promptly when I win."

She turned to Robin.

"What is your wager Robin?"

The Boy Blunder had learned to not go against his girlfriend in matters of the heart, but he was certain that if he accepted Cyborg's bet that he would be out 50 bucks in less than two weeks

"I'm not a betting man Star; so I'm going to sit this one out." He paused. "Still, the very idea of Raven and Beast Boy being a couple does raise some unusual … possibilities."

Cyborg guffawed.

"For starters, what would their kids look like?" The tin man asked.

Starfire glared at the mechanical man.

"Raven and Beast Boy will have beautiful offspring."

Robin gave Cyborg a subtle gesture to not push his luck as he stepped into the conversation.

"Of course they will Star."

The premature argument over Beast Boy and Raven's progeny was interrupted by a series of loud beeps on the mission console.

"I thought we shut that thing off." Cyborg said in an annoyed voice.

Robin was already seated in front of the console.

"We did, but we forgot to shut off the TV monitoring system." He clicked away on the keyboard. "Set the TV to channel 27."

Robin looked up from the console.

"It's Slade."

The three Titans braced themselves for what they were about to see. No doubt Slade would be making demands that the city surrender unconditionally to him. What came up was not what they were expecting.

The show was a local business journal, which lately had been doing its best to put a positive spin on the economic crisis, stooping as low as proclaiming that the 20% unemployment rate was 'better than expected'. Today however they had an interviewee on the show. The show's host, Alana Bluespan, had a guest in the studio and the three Titans' jaws hit the ground when they saw who it was.

"So tell us Mr. Wilson about the investments you're going to make in Jump City."

Slade was dressed in a sharp suit. Except for his face mask there was no sign of his signature armor. He sat with an executive air of authority as he gestured during his reply.

"It's quite simple Alana; I've formed a partnership with LuthorCorp to open a robot factory right here in Jump City. We're going to introduce a line of domestic robots that will free homeowners from the never ending chore of cleaning their households. And please call me Slade. Mr. Wilson is my father's name."

"That's fascinating Slade. Will these robots be based on the technologies that you created during your, how can I say this politely … your previous career?"

Slade chuckled, almost sounding amused.

"Absolutely Alana. The advanced artificial intelligence technologies that I invented during my more … unsavory days … will have an entirely new and benign application with this new generation of robots. And they will be affordably priced too. My partner and I have projected a worldwide market of 10 million robots per year within just five short years. Not only will unemployment be a thing of the past in Jump City, we expect to attract the cream of the crop from out of town."

The hostess was almost gushing at the news and was practically eating out of Slade's hand.

"That is stupendous news. Will you be moving to Jump City Slade, maybe to the posh La Gemma neighborhood?"

Slade chuckled again.

"I considered that Alana, but my privacy is very important to me, especially when you consider my … controversial past. There is no way I could have that kind of privacy in La Gemma, or in any neighborhood in Jump City for that matter."

Miss Bluespan almost pouted at Slade's news.

"I'm so sorry to hear that you won't be moving to Jump City Slade."

Slade chuckled again.

"Actually, a property that would definitely suit my needs has come onto the market. It would offer me the privacy I need plus it has an unparalleled view of the city. One could even say that it's the most desirable piece of property in the entire community."

Alana was now gushing.

"That's fantastic Slade, I'm sure that our business community is thrilled that you will be moving here and joining our community. Of course I don't expect you to tell us where this dynamite piece of property is located, being that you value your privacy."

Slade continued chuckling.

"Actually Alana, I'd be more than happy to tell about where I'll be living. It wasn't for sale unfortunately, believe me that I tried to convince the Mayor to have the city sell it to me, but he wouldn't budge. He insisted that I lease the property, which I did. I signed the contract this morning in his office."

Alana Bluespan smiled back at Slade.

"Well don't keep us in suspense Slade, what property did you lease from the city?"

Slade turned and stared straight into the studio's TV camera. The three Titan's felt a chill run down their collective spines as Slade appeared to be staring at each one of them.

"Why Titan's Tower of course. The monthly rent I'll be paying will be enough to keep all the schools open. There won't be any teacher layoffs or school closures. I made sure that was a contingency added to the lease contract."

"But what about the Titans Slade, where will they go?"

Slade leaned back, tapping his fingers together.

"It was most unfortunate that the city had to withdraw its funding for the Titans, they have been here for what, 5 years now? They are a most effective team, believe me, I should know."

Bluespan giggled at Slade's self denigrating remark.

"And I think the Titans should stay here in Jump City. So here is what I'm going to do: Robin, if you're out there listening to me, Lex Luthor and I will sponsor the Teen Titans to the tune of $10 million dollars a year. Now I know this is much less than the 85 million you used to get from the taxpayers, but given that these are tough times in Jump City I expect that you could easily run your team on an annual budget of $10 million. I'll be coming by the Tower to discuss this with you …"

The TV went dark as Robin shut it down, unable to tolerate listening to Slade for one more instant. Starfire saw that her beloved was red in the face, with a vein throbbing on his forehead. After over a minute had passed the Boy Wonder finally spoke.

"That son of a bitch. He's gonna run us out of town."

Starfire place a comforting hand on his shoulder.

"Robin, I do not understand your statement. How can Slade chase us out of town?"

"Think about it Star, there's no way we can accept Slade's money. But if we reject it we'll come across as a bunch of spoiled prima donnas. There's no way we can raise money after that." Cyborg interjected.

Starfire understood the implications and dropped her head sadly.

"Does this mean we are nailed?" She asked.

"Screwed." Robin corrected her as he sighed. "Will one of you mind telling Raven and Beast Boy what happened? I'll be in my office."

Without saying another word Robin left the common room. Starfire and Cyborg locked eyes and nodded at each other. The princess then took off after Robin while Cyborg trudged off to Raven's room. The last thing he wanted to do was interrupt the make out session they were almost certainly enjoying with this bad news.

But it had to be done.

* * *

Beast Boy was resting on Raven's bed staring at the ceiling while the sorceress paced around her room, mumbling to herself. While the changeling was not an empath like his sweetheart his animal senses and instincts served him well. Behind the ever present blank expression on her face a sea of turmoil was raging. After pacing a few more times she stopped dead in her tracks.

"What do other superheroes do?" She asked her boyfriend.

He sat up in the bed and rubbed the back of his head.

"Well, a bunch of them are rich."

"OK, scratch those ones. We aren't rich."

"Some of them have secret identities, like Superman or the Flash. Heck, Kid Flash and Jinx live in an apartment in Central City."

Raven shook her head.

"There's too many of us to do that, and besides that other than Robin none of us has a secret identity."

The changeling continued to rub his head.

"I don't know Rae, most superheroes work solo and not in teams. I could ask Mento for some money …"

"I'd rather not bring them into this. Aren't they your adoptive parents? They're gonna freak when they find out that I'm your girlfri…"

Raven was interrupted by a loud metallic knock on the door.

"Come in Cyborg, we're decent and it's unlocked."

"We're decent?" Beast Boy whispered to her.

"Can't I mess with his mind?" She whispered back, causing the changeling to snicker.

The sliding door opened and Cyborg cautiously peered inside. Raven's room hadn't changed all that much over the years and still bore a striking resemblance to a cross between the Addams Family and Halloween. He still couldn't believe that the sorceress and the changeling were now a couple. The mental image of them kissing and making out was almost enough to traumatize the tin man.

"What is it Cyborg?" Raven droned.

He took a deep breath before answering.

"You'll never guess who's coming to dinner…"


	4. Chapter 4

Ok, here are standard disclaimers. I do not own, nor claim to own any rights to the Teen Titans, or any other borrowed characters. I also make no claims towards any original characters I invent for this story.

* * *

Raven stiffened as she followed Beast Boy through the automatic doors while he pushed a shopping cart. The other shoppers pretended to not stare at the Chromatically Challenged Couple™, but Raven could sense their unusually morbid curiosity and Beast Boy was able to hear them whisper with his sensitive ears. He noticed that Raven was feeling extremely uncomfortable even though she kept her blank expression intact. The giveaway was that she was gently fondling the emerald pendant he had given her two weeks before, the day after they became "official". She had chastised him for giving her such an extravagant gift, but had kept it regardless and wore it every day.

She followed Beast Boy as she did not know her way around the giant supermarket, which happened to be the biggest one in town and had the best prices, which was suddenly very important to the team. Since going on a shoestring budget the Titans were forced to economize, and that meant doing their own shopping instead of relying on a delivery service. Raven had never set foot in a supermarket before and while she was hiding it well she was completely overwhelmed by all the choices.

The changeling wheeled the cart down one of the refrigerated aisles and stopped in front of the tofu display. With a big grin in his face he lifted a 10 lb box of soy bean curd and dropped it into the cart.

"Do you really eat that much tofu?" Raven asked Beast Boy as he started to push the shopping cart again. They quickly made their way up and down the store aisles, filling the shopping cart with the items on the list. What she found odd was the gawking and whispered murmurs from the other shoppers. It was true that she was the only violet haired, grey skinned girl in town, and she had never seen another green skinned male but after 5 years she figured that the locals would be used to seeing them.

Raven looked down at the list and saw that one item was remaining: coffee. She informed her beau and he propelled the cart towards their final aisle. As the rounded the corner her jaw almost hit the ground.

"You have got to be kidding me." She moaned. "Which one do we get? I didn't know there were so many brands."

Beast Boy just grinned and grabbed a can of the brand they always got. Raven crumpled the list up and handed it to her boyfriend.

"Let's pay for this and go home. I can't stand being here one moment longer." She complained as they made their way to the checkout lane. The cashier, a middle aged blond woman, did a double take as they began to unload the contents of their cart onto the conveyor belt. Recovering instantly she immediately reverted into standard cashier mode.

"Did you folks find everything you were looking for?"

Beast Boy answered her and began to chat idly with the woman as he continued to unload the cart. As the checkout scanner began its symphony of beeps and other sounds Raven noticed the selection of tabloids and gossip magazines on display next to the checkout lane racks of candy, bubblegum, batteries and lip balm. Much to her dismay most of them were full of sensationalized storied about the Titans. The grabbed one and began to peruse through it.

Once Beast Boy had finished unloading the cart he turned towards Raven. She was in deep concentration, as she usually was when she read anything.

"What'cha reading Rae?"

The sorceress showed him the headline on the tabloid: "Love nest in Tower: Rumors of wild parties and orgies abound."

"I think we could sue them for libel." Raven commented dryly. "At least now I know why we're getting all these dirty looks. Next time we go out, we're wearing regular clothes."

"Don't bother honey." The cashier interjected. "They never lose, plus if you leave them alone they'll find someone else to pick on by next week."

In a surprise move Raven tossed the tabloid onto the conveyor belt.

"How often do they publish lies about us?" She asked the woman.

"Once every few months. Believe me, you aren't even close to being their most popular target. Just be glad you aren't Lindsey Lohan or Britney Spears."

The woman paused, with an unsure look on her face. After hesitating she asked.

"Is it true that you two are a couple now?"

"Yes, it's true." Raven replied in her monotone.

The cashier smiled.

"Well, if you ask me, I think that you make a very nice couple. And I think you both look very smart in your super hero costumes."

They thanked the cashier and Raven paid for the groceries.

"Do you need any help with your cart?" The box boy asked.

They declined his offer and they made their way out of the store. Once they walked out the automatic doors the box boy blew a long whistle.

"What a creepy couple!" He jeered at the now absent Titans.

The cashier gave him a dirty look.

"What are you talking about Dexter?"

He laughed before replying.

"Oh come on! She's gotta be the creepiest girl in the whole town. She has no expression at all and she talks in that spooky monotone. Sure, she's got a hot body, but she's freakin' gray! I don't get it; he could do so much better than her, even if he is green."

The cashier sneered at him.

"You're one to talk! You don't even have a girlfriend."

"Stuff it Edna, I don't date cougars."

The woman crossed her arms.

"You should give a try. You might just like it."

Meanwhile in the parking lot Raven shook her head.

"Slade's rented the Tower and the tabloids accuse us of being a bunch of sexually depraved perverts. I don't know what to expect next Gar. Sometimes I just can't fathom North American culture."

As Beast Boy loaded the groceries into the T-Car's trunk he had an idea.

"Why don't we go away for a while, you know, like a vacation?"

Raven sighed.

"I love that idea Gar, but we don't have any money. We already agreed to not touch our savings."

He acknowledged the pact they had made last week to save their money by nodding.

"Then how about we go somewhere where we won't need any money."

Raven shook her head.

"You mean like camping? I'll pass. Any place that doesn't have hot showers is off my list …"

She paused as they got into the car.

"… but I do have an idea Gar."

* * *

Robin was standing on the Tower roof, surveying the city that was once his domain, his treasured prize to protect. He knew that as he looked on that all sorts of crimes were being committed, even if he couldn't actually see them he could feel them. It was as if the entire citizenry had lost their collective minds. The veneer that was called 'civilization' was indeed thin and it didn't take much rubbing to expose the ugly reality of human nature that was hidden underneath the façade.

As he continued to stare he heard the rooftop's access door open. Out of the corner of his eye he saw that it was Raven, and she quietly walked over to where he was standing.

"We gotta stop meeting like this." He joked.

"Well, I'm glad to see that you're in a good mood, because it's going to come in handy now." She replied as she handed him the tabloid she had purchased earlier at the supermarket.

Robin frowned as he read the libelous headline.

"That's low, even by their standards." He growled as he handed the tabloid back to the sorceress.

"They should be coming soon." Raven changed the subject.

Robin pointed out towards the bay.

"Over there. Do you see the ferry?"

Raven nodded.

"Let's go Raven; we all need to be at the dockside to receive them."

"Wait, before we go I have to tell you something."

Robin stopped in his tracks.

"Sure, what is it?"

"I want to take a vacation."

Robin shrugged.

"Sure, why not? It's not like we have any missions. And the fundraising has been a total bust. So far we've only received $34,000 in pledges. We're gonna have to come up with a plan B Raven."

"Gar suggested we ask the Doom Patrol for help."

Robin flinched as he heard the name of Beast Boy's old team.

"I don't think so Raven. The last thing I want is for Mento to have us over a barrel. You know how dominating he is."

He paused.

"So where are you going?"

Raven shuffled on her feet before answering.

"I'm taking Gar to meet my mother in Azarath. I think two weeks should be enough time."

Robin was unable to conceal his surprise.

"I didn't realize you guys were that serious. So you're taking your boy toy home to meet the family." He chuckled."I know it's none of my business, but you two have been spending a lot of evenings together …"

Raven interrupted him.

"You're right; it's none of your business Robin. I don't ask what you and Starfire do when you spend the night together. I expect the same courtesy from you."

Robin smiled sheepishly.

"I'm sorry Raven. I guess it's just the detective in me, I can't shut it off. Anyway, we'd better get going. That yacht's getting closer."

As the two Titans approached the access door Raven broke the silence.

"If it makes you feel any better Robin, there's nothing inappropriate happening in my room at night, in spite of what the local tabloid press says." She informed him in her monotone."Not even orgies."

Robin let out a small laugh.

"And I though Beast Boy was the funny one."

* * *

The bay was choppy that afternoon as Robin and Raven arrived at the dock that served as the Tower's lone berth for seagoing vessels. The sun shone in the late autumn day but it was unseasonable cold and a cold breeze blew off the water. Raven shivered as she wrapped her cape tightly around her figure while they approached Beast Boy and Starfire who were already waiting by the dock. The Tamaranian was unaffected by the cold and Beast Boy was wearing a hoodie with the Titans logo on it. As Raven looked around Robin asked the question that was forming in her mind.

"Where's Cyborg?"

"He's inside with the caterers." The changeling replied as he offered the use of his hoodie to Raven, which she promptly declined.

"Caterers? I didn't approve of that! How are we going to pay them?" Robin groaned.

"Do not do the fretting Robin, it was provided for by our guests." Starfire answered.

"I thought the city supposed to be broke. Having a catered event is going to send the wrong message to the public. And of all places why did he have to throw a party here?" Robin complained.

"I think they said that Slade paid for it all." Beast Boy added.

Robin snorted in disgust as the ferry pulled up to the dock. There were over a hundred people milling around on the ferry's main deck. As it pulled up a crew member threw a rope towards Robin who used it to secure the boat to the dock. Once it was secured a ramp was lowered and a gaggle of journalists were the first to disembark. They scurried to positions that would give them a good angle to snap photos.

The first two to disembark after the press corps were the Mayor and Slade, who were immediately followed by the entire city council and a few other dignitaries like the chief of police. Slade and the Mayor approached the 4 Titans and Slade extended his hand to Robin, who reluctantly extended his own to complete the handshake. The journalists' cameras began to flash in quick succession, momentarily blinding the Boy Wonder.

Slade then moved on to the other 3 Titans, who also reluctantly shook his hand. He shook Raven's hand last.

"What's the meaning of this media circus Slade? What do you want from us?" Raven muttered softly enough to hide her accusation from the press. Meanwhile the city councilors were beginning to mingle with the other Titans.

"What do I want? Patience girl, you will know soon enough. My associate will fill you in with the details after we are done with the pleasantries."

"Your associate?" Beast Boy asked. "Who' that?"

As if on cue a small figure walked down the ramp from the ferry. The 'associate' was a slender woman dressed in a male business suit carrying an attaché case. Her long blond hair blew in the breeze as she made her way down the ramp. She walked straight to Slade who was still standing next to Raven and Beast Boy. Cyborg had already emerged from the Tower, satisfied that the caterers weren't Slade's agents. The tin man and the boy wonder had also seen the mysterious blond woman who hid her face behind dark shades and began to move towards their friends. They all arrived at the same time. Raven stared at the woman with a scowl on her face.

The business woman removed her sunglasses and tucked them into her coat pocket. She then addressed the Titans' leader.

"Robin, it's good to see you again." She said in a very businesslike voice.

The boy wonder stared in disbelief before answering.

"Terra … this … this is a surprise." Robin stammered.

Terra ignored his remark and moved on to Cyborg.

"Cyborg." She said curtly before turning to the princess and greeting her tersely as well.

"Raven, it's good to see that you've fully recovered from your wounds."

The gray girl did not give Terra the courtesy of a reply.

Terra then turned towards Beast Boy and smiled.

"BB, it's been far too long!" She said as she leaned forward to peck him on the cheek. With no warning Raven intercepted her.

"Not so fast Terra, he's spoken for already."

The geomancer calmly stepped back.

"He is? May I ask who has staked her claim on him?"

She noticed the green emerald pendant that Raven was wearing.

"That's a nice bauble Raven, who gave it to you?" Terra asked as she reached out to touch the pendant. Raven pulled back, covering the pendant with her hand as the cameras began to flash.

"Gar gave it to me." She hissed.

Terra smirked.

"Really? Why would he do that?"

Raven took Beast Boy's hand into her own. The photographers saw their opportunity and snapped away at who would by tomorrow be Jump City's new celebrity couple.

"Because he's my boyfriend."

Terra smiled upon hearing Raven's confession. The press had heard it as well and cameras resumed their flashing.

"So the tabloids weren't lying about the two of you." Terra grinned. "So it's all true huh?"

Beast Boy couldn't restrain himself any longer and exploded at his former sweetheart.

"Of course not! The tabloids are full of crap!" He bellowed.

Terra smiled sweetly at the changeling.

"Of course BB, no believes the tabloids anyway."

Meanwhile, a lone figure on the ferry was watching the reunion through a scope. His index finger was curled around the trigger of the sniper rifle he was aiming at Raven's head. Fortunately for the sorceress there were many people milling around them, blocking the sniper from having a clear shot. He almost pulled the trigger once but stopped as Beast Boy stepped in front of Raven. He remembered well what had happened to Humberto, and decided to not risk suffering the boy's fate.

The lone gunman disassembled his rifle and packed it away. His time was up as the rest of the ferry crew would soon notice that he was missing. He packed the rifle away and hid it in a chest that was supposed to be full of life preservers. Then without further ado he rejoined the crew and resumed his deception as a crew member.

* * *

The common room was abuzz with activity as the reception continued. None of the Titans looked too pleased with the situation. Their two "guests of honor" had the entire city council eating out of their collective hands while the Titans were too uncomfortable with the situation to even consider mingling. They had not been expecting this level of scrutiny in the public eye. There were TV crews with cameras running around interviewing anyone they could, and when it came to the Titans there were only two people they were interested in: Beast Boy and Raven.

Robin could see that the couple was beginning to feel overwhelmed by the barrage of questioning by the reporters and he discreetly approached Terra.

"They've had their fun Terra; it's time to get rid of them."

"Why ask me? It's your house, you kick them out."

"You invited them." He hissed back.

The blond smiled. "Whatever you say Robin."

"Sure, it's time to get down the real business at hand anyway."

The blond raised her voice to address the crowd.

"I'd like to thank the local media for joining here tonight at Titan's Tower. At this time I need to ask you to leave as we will soon begin to discuss some confidential issues."

A collective moan was heard from the crowd.

"I know you're disappointed. As a consolation prize I promise you that there will be a press release in the morning. The ferry will take you back to the mainland. Once again, thank you for joining us."

The moans died down and the journalist slowly filed out of the Tower. Once they were gone, along with the caterers Slade cleared his throat.

"Well, it seems that now it's time to discuss the terms of the sponsorship Robin."

The five Titans glared at Slade, who chuckled.

"You are of course familiar with my associate Terra Markov. What you don't know is that Terra is my Executive Vice President. She has prepared the contract for you r sponsorship. I suggest you listen carefully to what she has to say."

Terra opened her attaché case and pulled out the contract.

"You'll want to read this carefully before signing it of course." She began. "In fact, you might want to have an attorney explain it to you. All I'll do tonight is give you the high level details …"

"I don't like the sound of this." Raven whispered to Beast Boy.

"First of all, you will be allowed to stay in the Tower."

She had their attention.

"Your main duty will be to supervise the transfer of components arriving from Japan to the factory. This are some very expensive and valuable parts and we can't take the risk of having them stolen. This will happen once a week as the ship will arrive Wednesday mornings. The transfer should take approximately 2 days to complete. Once you have completed the task the rest of the week is yours to use as you see fit."

The Titans were stunned. Slade expected them to be his errand boys.

"And what if we don't accept?" Raven asked in her monotone.

"Then we pull out and build the factory somewhere else." Terra answered.

A stunned silence hung over the room. Robin cold see from the Mayor's face that this was news to him.

"So you're holding the city hostage unless we accept." Cyborg commented in annoyed tone.

"But why Slade? If it's so dangerous here in Jump City, why even bother?" Raven asked.

The mayor glared at Raven. The city desperately needed those jobs. It was obvious to her that the Mayor would do anything to secure the robot factory's location in the city.

Slade grinned behind his mask.

"Let's just say that I have a sentimental attachment to this town."

"You're asking for a lot Slade." Beast Boy grumbled.

Slade and Terra began to leave.

"We know," Terra replied. "But think about it. You have a whole week to make up your minds."

Slade, Terra and their entourage prepared to head back to the dock. During the reception a second boat had arrived. A yacht with the "United Robotics" logo painted on its side waited for them. Meanwhile the Mayor approached the Titans. Robin saw that the man looked desperate.

"Robin, you have to accept his deal." He pleaded. "Long Beach is offering them the old McDonnell Douglas plant for free and all sorts of incentives. Without that factory Jump City is finished. We'll never survive the gang war."

Robin felt a surge of anger sweep through him. The mayor had known about this all along, probably even as he dismissed the Titans just a few weeks before. It was a set up.

"Get out of here." Robin grumbled at the Mayor.

Terra turned around and smiled at Robin.

"Don't allow your personal feelings to cloud your judgment Robin." She gently taunted him before locking eyes with Beast Boy and winking at him.

Robin kept his cool until everyone had left. The first thing he did then was address Beast Boy and Raven.

"You guys are leaving for Azarath tomorrow. Terra's up to something and it involves you Beast Boy. If you're gone whatever she's planning on won't happen."

* * *

Raven and Beast Boy were once again snuggled up in her bed as the movie began to play on the TV in her room. They were both tired and frustrated with the day's events and just wanted to forget about them.

Both were wearing pajama bottoms and a T-shirt. Beast Boy didn't wear his gloves on movie nights, which were now pretty much every night. He hadn't slept in his room for over a week and was surprised that Raven never kicked him out, even if he was awake when the movie was over.

As the flick began Raven snuggled up with her boyfriend and as she jostled around getting comfortable her T-shirt shifted, exposing her midsection. Beast Boy was able to see the many scars that the lifesaving surgery had left on her belly and without thinking about he began to trace them delicately with his index finger. Raven lay still while he explored her scars one by one. Eventually she broke the silence.

"I'm gonna have those for the rest of my life."

Beast Boy continued caressing her wounds.

"I know."

Raven sighed.

"I hate them. They make me feel ugly, flawed, like I'm damaged goods."

"You aren't ugly Rae. In fact you're beautiful."

She leaned over and kissed him.

"But those scars are ugly." She protested. "Could you ever see me in a bikini with these scars?"

"Since when do you wear a bikini?" He teased her as he continued to caress her scars.

"It's a rhetorical question."

Beast Boy gave her a deep kiss before answering.

"Of course I could see you in a bikini, even if it's never been your style."

Raven self consciously pulled her T-shirt down, covering her scars while with her other hand she pulled Beast Boy's hand to her lips and she kissed it. The green lad blushed at her tender gesture and gently drew her into a prolonged and fiery kiss which she melted into. Ignoring the movie which had already started they remained in their loving embrace for several minutes. Finally he broke the silence.

"I'm not really in the mood for a movie tonight."

"Neither am I. I can't stop thinking about what happened this afternoon." She replied.

The changeling furrowed his brow.

"What a way for Terra to come back. I thought I'd never see her again after that day at her school."

"So, were you glad to see her?"

He shook his head.

"Not if she's working for Slade again. That whole business person thing, it seems so fake, I can't believe the Mayor's buying their story about opening a factory."

"He's desperate Gar. The city's about to implode and Slade shows up as a savior. I think that at this point the mayor would accept help from Trigon if he offered it."

The changeling snorted his disapproval.

"Rob's called a meeting tomorrow with the extended Titan family to talk about the offer. Rob can't be considering it, could he Rae?"

Raven sighed.

"I'm afraid that our fearless leader is almost as desperate as the mayor."

Beat Boy shook his head.

"We'll have to talk some sense into him. I'd rather move in with the Bat than work for Slade."

"And Terra." Raven added. "It was strange Gar. Terra's always been hard to sense emotionally, but she's got me beat. Her emotions were completely shrouded, hidden. I couldn't sense them at all."

"Slade's gotta be behind that. So is this gonna put our trip on hold?"

"No. We have to be firm about this Gar. We need to tell Robin that we're leaving tomorrow."

The changeling grinned.

"This is gonna be fun. Does your mom know we're coming?"

"No, she doesn't. We aren't exactly on speaking terms. When I left Azarath some harsh words were exchanged…"

"So you wanna patch things up with your mom?"

She nodded.

"It'll be easier if you're there with me Gar."

He gave her a warm and supporting smile.

"You know you can count in me Rae."

He picked up the clicker and turned the TV off.

"So what do we do now?" He asked.

She smiled slyly at him and he grinned like the Cheshire cat.


	5. Chapter 5

Ok, here are standard disclaimers. I do not own, nor claim to own any rights to the Teen Titans, or any other borrowed characters. I also make no claims towards any original characters I invent for this story.

* * *

The breakfast dishes had been cleared, rinsed and loaded into the dishwasher. Robin stood before his 4 teammates as they sat at the breakfast table, satisfied with the late morning meal. The environment at the Tower had taken a casual tone. Raven and Beast Boy were still in their pajamas. Starfire was wearing a pair of skin tight jeans and a bright pink T-Shirt. Cyborg wore what he always wore: nothing. Robin of course was wearing a freshly laundered and pressed traffic light costume. The only civvies he had were those that Alfred sent him and they were still unpacked in the box that Batman's majordomo had shipped them in and would probably remain in that box long after the sun had burned out.

"Before we explore any other options I have to ask this question: Are we even going to consider Slade's offer?"

"Do you even have to ask?" Raven replied in a monotone that was dry even by her own standards.

"Raven is correct. It would be a dishonor for a warrior to accept assistance from one such as Slade …"

"… or Terra." Beast Boy added. The faintest hint of a smile formed on Raven's face, which did not go unnoticed by the others.

"Sorry, that question had to be asked." Robin paused. "So now that we got that out of the way … do we have any other ideas?"

"I've got enough parts in the garage to build 10 T-Cycles." Cyborg volunteered. "I'm sure I could sell them. I'm not sure how much to ask for them though."

"We could have an auction." Beast Boy beamed. "Plus Rob and Star could auction themselves off as dates."

Starfire giggled while Robin gave Beast Boy a Batclan death glare.

"And what about you Beast Boy? Why aren't you volunteering your services?"

"As I told Terra yesterday, he's spoken for." Raven growled dangerously. "And don't even think of volunteering me bird boy. Not interested."

Starfire perked up and levitated over to the sorceress.

"But Raven, it could be fun. What harm could come from auctioning ourselves off as dates?"

Beast Boy saw a devious smile form on Raven's lips.

"First of all I doubt anyone would bid on me, except for the creeps and perverts. But tell me Starfire," Raven asked her in a voice with a hint of mischief. "what will you do if Kitten has the highest bid on Robin?"

It took the princess a moment to recover from the shocking potential outcome of the bachelor and bachelorette auction.

"I see your point friend Raven." Starfire replied in a nervous voice before turning to Robin. "We will not do the auction."

Robin chuckled. "Well, maybe we shouldn't auction ourselves off. Though I wonder how much Terra would bid for Beast Boy …"

"Dude! I thought we agreed not to take their money!" The changeling bellowed.

"I'm with Gar on this one. Just the thought of that makes my skin crawl." Raven added.

Everyone shared a brief laugh at the prospect of Beast Boy being sold to Terra for one evening, except of course for Raven who found the prospect to be unsettling to say the least.

"What can we sell?" Raven asked. "Isn't almost everything in the Tower city property?"

"We could sell mementos. You know, stuff like old costumes, maybe some junk in the evidence room." Cyborg remarked.

Robin sighed.

"This isn't going to raise a lot of money. At least not the kind of money we need."

Raven snapped her fingers.

"I could ask for help in Azarath. I know a few rich families there."

Robin gave Raven an amused look.

"I didn't know you hobnobbed with Azarath's rich and famous." He teased her.

"Laugh all you want Robin, but this just might work. They owe us big time. Remember that Trigon destroyed Azarath and it was restored after we defeated him."

"After you defeated him." Beast Boy corrected her.

Robin stroked his chin.

"I hadn't thought of that." He admitted. "So when are you guys leaving?"

"As soon as we're packed." She replied.

* * *

Robin, Starfire and Cyborg waited in the common room. Raven had told them that she would create the travel portal there so that they could see them off. Cyborg had set up a video camera and some strange looking sensors to record the event while Robin and Starfire cleared the furniture to make room for Raven's portal.

As if on cue the sliding doors opened revealing the two missing Titans. Both were carrying backpacks with what they deemed essential for the trip. Raven was also carrying two bottles that were full of a strange liquid. As they reached the middle of the room she gestured to her friends to make room. Once they had stepped back the bottles floated out of her hands and after uncorking themselves they poured their contents out, forming a circle around Raven and Beast Boy.

"We'll see you in two weeks." Raven addressed her friends.

"Bring back lots of money!" Starfire cheered.

"And have a good time introducing your boy toy to mom!" Cyborg teased her. Beast Boy responded with a glare.

"That's not cool Cy."

Raven ignored the friendly ribbing and began the incantation that would open the portal to Azarath, just as she had done a few years before, shortly after her 16th birthday. Beast Boy stood next to her as she began.

"Azarath, Metrion, Zinthos …" She chanted slowly in her deep gravelly voice.

"Karazon, Racashos, Endareth … "

The poured fluid began to form a transparent wall around them.

"Vasirix, Zendien, Azarath …"

Beast Boy and Raven were now levitating. Raven's eyes glowed white while the changeling clung nervously to her arm as the portal opened above them.

"Azarath, AZARATH!" Raven shouted. Then as the time before she, along with her beau, was quickly sucked into the vortex that was above them. Beast Boy briefly shrieked and in a flash they were gone as the portal closed behind them.

Starfire smiled.

"Have a good time dear friends." She wished them belatedly.

* * *

Beast Boy clung to Raven for dear life. All he saw around him was an endless void. He was in no danger of falling and could he have easily flown under his own power were he to morph into an avian. But the lack of a point of reference disconcerted him. It was then that he noticed that his arms were tightly wrapped around Raven's chest and blushed, but he did not let go.

"Rae, do you know where you're going?"

The two were cheek to cheek and the Changeling loosened his grip from Raven's bosom.

"Just relax, we're almost there." She deadpanned.

After a few more minutes of flying through the void Beast Boy thought he saw something ahead, in the direction they were travelling. At first it appeared to be a tiny dot that stood out in the void, shimmering like a star. As they continued to approach it the circle grew in size and the changeling began to wonder just how big it was. Soon he was able to discern that it was a mandala and it was slowly rotating in the void. Without a point of reference he was unable to tell how large or far away it was.

"Rae, what is that?" He asked breathlessly.

"It's the gate of Azarath." She replied in her monotone.

The mandala continued to grow as they approached. Beast Boy couldn't believe how large it was; it looked as if all of Jump City would fit on its surface. Finally Raven reduced her speed and eventually stopped in front of it.

"Let us in." She demanded as the chakra stone on her forehead glowed a deep red.

After a moment one of the facets in the mandala faded away and Raven quickly flew through the gap. Once through the sight that greeted them took Beast Boy's breath away. A large, featureless plain stood before them. Raven continued to fly towards the horizon. After a few more minutes the changeling was able to see where it ended: a precipice that had no bottom.

Raven landed at near the cliff's edge. Standing before them, floating like a jellyfish in the sea was the city of Azarath, it skyline reaching for the sky like a medusa's tentacles. The city was connected to the cliff by a single suspension bridge. Its image defied both belief and logic as it looked both massive and light.

"Dude!" Was his only comment.

Raven took his hand.

"There it is Gar, Azarath. My home, my people."

She gave his hand a reassuring squeeze.

"Come on. We still have to cross the bridge."

The bridge was a magnificent structure. It was longer and wider than the bridge that spanned the Bay in Jump City and it felt a lot stronger. It had a steady source of traffic in both directions, mostly cargo vehicles bringing all sorts of goods into the city as well as removing all of its waste. Nothing was discarded into the void, Raven explained to her sweetheart as they walked across the bridge which spanned the bottomless void beneath them.

"What's holding the city up?" He asked, still clearly amazed and unable to believe what he saw.

"An unbreakable spell, cast thousands of years ago. So long ago in fact that it's unknown who did it."

The pedestrian walkway was deserted and they were the only ones crossing on foot. When they reached the other end the border guard had not seen them approach. They reached the guard station and waited for her to notice their arrival. When that did not happen Raven cleared her throat.

Without looking up the guard spoke to them.

"Your name please."

"Raven Roth." She replied.

The guard looked up with a surprised look on her face. Upon seeing that was indeed Raven she leapt to her feet.

"Miss Roth! Please forgive me, I was distracted, I mean … no one ever walks across the bridge … welcome home." The guard stammered as she pushed a button. A door opened behind her and Raven led Beast Boy into Azarath.

* * *

Cyborg was busy mopping up the remains of Raven's portal. The liquid she poured on the ground wound up splattered around the common room. The vortex has also dislocated many smaller objects like the GameStation controllers around the room which Starfire was collecting and putting away. The fluid that Raven had used smelled foul and the tin man grimaced as he cleaned up the mess.

"Whoever said that Raven is neat and tidy doesn't know the girl." He grumbled under his breath.

Starfire grinned in response.

"Is it not glorious friend Cyborg?" She asked in a love struck voice.

"You mean this mess?" He asked, clearly annoyed. "Aw man! It splattered on the wall too."

The princess glared at the tin man.

"If you are trying to be the funny then you are failing." She answered in a cross voice. "You know of what I speak."

He stopped cleaning and gave her a stern look.

"If you're talking about BB and Raven, then no, it's not 'glorious'."

Starfire's annoyed exterior was replaced by one wracked with confusion.

"I do not understand. Why is it not glorious? They are so happy together."

Cyborg snorted.

"Hasn't it occurred to you that they won't stay happy? Once the honeymoon's over they'll be at each other's necks. She'll probably kill him ..."

"Do not exaggerate Cyborg."

"Ok, she won't kill him." He conceded. "But they will fight, which means they're gonna break up, and when that happens the team will be done for. One of them will have to leave. Who knows, they might both leave."

"I do not share your pessimism." She paused as of a light bulb had gone off on her head.

"You are the jealous!" She shouted as she snapped her fingers.

"Say what!" He shrieked. "Listen here missy; are you trying to say something? Cuz if you think I got something for BB, then you need to get that pretty Tamaranian head of yours examined…"

The princess began to laugh boisterously.

"Oh Cyborg, all I am saying is that you feel that you have lost your friend to Raven. But do not worry, Raven cannot take your place and you cannot take hers."

Cyborg shoved the mop back into its bucket.

"He never has time to play GameStation. He only watches movies with her and I can't remember the last time we argued over food … I used to think he was my best bud … but he doesn't give me the time of day anymore."

Starfire giggled.

"Do not worry friend. Once they return from Azarath you will see that everything will be back to normal."

Grabbing his mop he snorted derisively.

"As long as Slade and Terra are partners and considered model citizens nothing's normal Star." He said as he resumed mopping up Ravens liquid mess.

* * *

Beast Boy walked down the futuristic looking main boulevard, wide eyed at the sights he was taking in. The skyline put Jump City's own downtown to shame. The buildings gleamed immaculately, the air was as fresh as a forest breeze and the sidewalk looked clean enough to eat off of. Silent air sedans flitted overhead, like mechanical birds flying on the thermals.

After walking a few blocks Raven nudged him with her elbow and his attention returned to ground level. The sidewalk was now teeming with pedestrians from all walks of Azarathian life. The first thing he noticed was their attire, which consisted of hooded cassocks for the men and elegant dresses with hooded capes for the women.

The next thing he noticed was that all of the men were looking at the ground and didn't make eye contact with him. Most were walking behind a woman and appeared to be following them with great deference. When he tried to make eye contact with the women they simply glared at him, until they noticed who he was with after which they simply looked away. After a few minutes of this he couldn't take it any longer and turned towards his girlfriend. They were the only couple walking side by side.

"Rae, what's going on here? I feel really weirded out." He whispered to her.

"There are a few things you need to know about Azarath."

"You mean like everyone hates me?"

"No Gar, they don't hate you. They're just confused."

"And why's that Rae?"

She took his hand and squeezed it.

"Well, you see, Azarath is a matriarchal society."

As she spoke a middle aged, matronly woman walked out of a shop followed by four middle aged men. The woman was dressed entirely in white and the men were dressed in green, except for one who wore blue. They were carrying shopping bags while they silently followed her, their collective gazes focused on the ground. As they made their way down the sidewalk the crowd opened wide, giving them a wide berth.

Raven did not move over, and the portly women glared at her, but suddenly stopped as she recognized her.

"Raven Roth?" She said as she examined the sorceress with a critical eye. "It is you! You have finally returned."

"Hello Mayra." Raven replied.

"Why aren't you wearing white? You are of age if I recall correctly."

"We have just arrived. I have not been back to Roth Tower yet."

"We?" The woman asked as she sized up the changeling.

"Is this a servant you brought back from Earth? I didn't know that Earthlings were green."

Beast Boy bristled at the comment.

"This is Garfield Logan. He is my boyfri" She paused. "I am courting him."

"I see." Mayra answered in a clearly amused tone. "Does Arella know of this?"

"No, not yet."

"Very well, I expect I'll be seeing you at the Matriarch's council tomorrow. Until then my dear."

Without even acknowledging Beast Boy the women gestured to her escorts and they left together.

"Now I'm really weirded out Rae." He said as soon as Mayra was out of earshot. "What was that all about?"

Raven saw a café further down the street.

"Let's go somewhere quiet where I can explain everything."

The changeling nodded in agreement and taking his hand she led him to the sidewalk coffee house. They were greeted by the proprietor, a young woman, who led them to a quiet cozy table. They quickly ordered their drinks and woman disappeared back into the building.

"So what's going on here Rae? The men won't make eye contact and the women get pissed when I do. And what was fatso's problem anyway? She like totally ignored me…"

Raven took his hand in both of hers.

"I'm sorry; I should have prepared you for this. I guess I've been gone for so long that I kind of forgot how different it is here."

"I already know it's different Rae, but I'm still not sure what's going on here. You said something about matriarchs…"

"Yes, I did. I know this will seem strange to you Gar, but men and women are not considered to be equals in Azarath. Men are kind of … their wives' property here."

The green hero stroked his chin.

"I guess that explains a lot, but what about Mayra? And don't tell me those four dudes are her husbands."

Raven sighed.

"Mayra is a Matriarch. There is a group of about 100 families in Azarath that control most of the wealth. Each one is headed by a Matriarch. Matriarchs and their heiresses dress in white, no one else is allowed to wear white but them. The council of Matriarchs is one of the three branches of government in Azarath, the other two are the Mayor's office and the chamber of deputies, both of which are elected by popular vote."

"Deputies?" He asked.

"Think members of the state assembly. Anyway, the Matriarchs get a lot of perks. They don't answer to the voters since their positions in the council are hereditary. Matriarchs are allowed to have four husbands as well. They don't pay taxes but provide most of the employment for the general population."

"Sounds like a sweet deal." He commented.

"So why did she say that she'd see you at the Matriarch's council tomorrow? And why did she …" His eyes grew wide when he figured out the answer to the question he was about to ask. "… ask you why you weren't wearing white …" His voice trailed off.

Raven hung her head in shame.

"Yes Gar, it's true … I'm a Matriarch."


	6. Chapter 6

Ok, here are standard disclaimers. I do not own, nor claim to own any rights to the Teen Titans, or any other borrowed characters. I also make no claims towards any original characters I invent for this story.

* * *

The late afternoon light was shining though the corner office's windows, illuminating the vast suite in its warm orange glow. Sitting in her padded executive chair Terra stared at the landmark at the other end of the bay. It stood there as if mocking her impotence, her inability to extract the one and only thing she wanted from it.

The day's newspaper lay on her desk and it too mocked her with its front page story and photograph of her Beast Boy holding hands with the witch. The young executive picked up the daily and stared at the offending picture, the abomination that taunted her without mercy. Every time she looked back at it nothing had changed, they were still holding hands. She silently seethed as she picked up a pair of stress stones in her other hand. They felt cool to the touch and she slowly began to roll them around in her hand. She was called a geomancer but at the moment the two smooth rocks had no magical effect on her as she was consumed with jealousy.

_Look at her, she doesn't even look happy, and yet she has him. Damn you Humberto! Why didn't you finish the job? Your punishment wasn't harsh enough. I should have had you drawn and …_

Terra's train of thought was interrupted when she heard her office door open. Springing out of her chair she hurled the two stones at the intruder, using her own powers to propel them. Her visitor caught them effortlessly.

"Haven't you heard of knocking before entering a room?" She snarled at him.

Slade calmly walked to her desk and sat on it as he began to twirl the stones in his own palm.

"Is there something green on your mind Terra?"

"What do you think? Didn't you see them together yesterday?"

Slade chuckled as he put the two stones down on Terra's desk.

"Now do you understand why I don't waste my time with romantic entanglements Terra? They bring nothing but heartache and they are a terrible distraction."

The geomancer gave the masked man a disdainful look.

"And how would you know Slade? The only thing you love is power."

He stood up and slowly walked towards the windows, his gaze fixed on the distant horizon.

"That is true Terra, but it wasn't always so."

"Yeah, right."

"I am telling you the truth Terra. I once loved a woman."

"You? You gotta be kidding."

"I am not. But I have put that behind me as I have a bigger problem to deal with now."

"What problem are you talking about Slade? The drug smuggling operation is running without a hitch, especially since the Titans were fired. I've laundered the profits which are being invested in the new factory, which is ahead of schedule I might add. Everything is going as planned. So what the hell is the problem?"

Slade turned from the window to face his former apprentice.

"My problem is the changeling and the hold he has over my partner."

"What are you talking about Slade?"

"Don't play games with me Terra." He growled. "You've become obsessed with him, again. Why? You sent him away three years ago when he came looking for you. What was it you told him … things change? Apparently not enough."

"I only sent him away because you made me." She hissed. "Do you have any idea of how hard that was?"

"As a matter of fact, I do."

"Oh yeah, you once loved a woman." She said with contempt.

"Don't mock that which you do not understand Terra. I had my reasons to leave her behind, and believe me it wasn't easy."

"I don't care." She replied as she made her way out of the office.

"Where are you going?" He deadpanned.

Terra stopped at the still open door.

"I'm going to Titans Tower." She answered as she slammed the door shut behind her.

* * *

Beast Boy stared at Raven with a mixture of surprise and confusion plastered on his face.

"But how Raven … I mean … I don't understand."

Raven sighed.

"My mother, Arella, she's a Matriarch and since I'm her firstborn I'm also a Matriarch … I'm sorry Gar."

"Sorry? For what? It's not your fault that you're your mother's daughter."

She shook her head. "I'm sorry I didn't tell you before. It's just something … I'm … I'm not proud of."

He placed a hand on her shoulder.

"It's OK Rae, I understand. You can't help who your parents are."

The sorceress wrapped her arms around him and held on tight, oblivious to the stares of those around them and she didn't release him until she was interrupted by what sounded like a young female voice.

"Raven! It's true! You have come back!"

Raven released Beast Boy and turned around to see who it was. Beast Boy saw her first. She was a young woman of their own age, dressed in Matriarchal white and was accompanied by four young, tall and very handsome men, three dressed in green and one in blue.

"Nara?" Raven croaked in surprise.

"So you haven't forgotten me?" The girl teased the sorceress. "I thought you would never return from Earth. I'm hurt Raven, you never sent me a message. I thought we were best friends"

"Well as you can see, I have indeed returned." She replied in her signature monotone. "As for the lack of mail, there was no way to send it from Earth."

"Well it's about time you came back. You know that you are Azarath's favorite daughter, don't you? Ever since you saved us from Trigon …"

"I had help." Raven interrupted as she placed a hand on Beast Boy's shoulder.

"I see." Nara replied with a coy smile. "And who might this be? A little prize from Earth? He is cute."

Raven stiffened as Nara addressed Beast Boy in the third person. She took his hand before replying.

"Nara, I want to introduce you to Garfield Logan. He is my teammate from Earth and I am courting him."

The young Matriarch stared at Raven as if she had … just introduced her to a man. It took a moment for the young Matriarch to recover from the sorceress's faux pas. Needless to say, she did not introduce her male companions to Raven.

"I see that you have been away from Azarath for a long time." Nara replied with a hint of surprise in her voice. "So are the rumors about Earth true?"

"What rumors?" Raven asked, already knowing the answer.

"That men are uppity and consider themselves our equals … when we all know they're only good for one thing …"

Nara grinned at Raven, who stared at her impassively, only her eyes were giving away that a cauldron of anger that was simmering within her and might erupt at any moment. Nara recognized the look; Raven hadn't changed much at all over the years. She had forgotten how easy it was to offend her friend.

"Well … I need to run along … places to go, people to see and all that … I'm hosting a party this weekend. I'll have an invitation sent to you. You will come, right?"

"If time permits I might." Raven replied, politely declining the invitation in the time honored Azarathian indirect way.

Nara waved at her entourage, who almost looked like clones with their nearly identical chiseled good looks. They silently followed her with the obedience of a well trained dog.

Beast Boy stared with a frown at the departing group.

"Azarath blows. Let's just go say hi to your mom and go home."

* * *

The corporate helicopter slowly made its way around the blue bay. Its lone passenger was lost in thought as she stared at the destination in the distance: Titans Tower. She was still dressed in her business suit and she tapped her foot nervously on the chopper's carpeted floor. She had carefully rehearsed what she was going to say to the changeling: she was going to offer herself to him, no strings attached.

As they made their way across the azure colored bay she looked down and saw a flotilla of sail boats making their way back to their marinas, their daytime excursions complete as the sun hung low in the sky, bathing the city in its red glow.

"Pilot, have you informed them of our arrival?" She asked through the headset she was wearing.

"Yes Miss Markov. They are expecting us." He replied.

Terra had her concerns. First and foremost was Raven. She was convinced that the sorceress's hold on the changeling would be hard to break. Gathering information on the couple had proven to be next to impossible. She had no idea if the witch had cast a spell on her beloved or if she was using more conventional methods, like sex, to keep the changeling under control and at her side.

Her second concern was that Beast Boy would reject her because of her association with Slade. This too was problematic as Slade could easily expose her role in the drug smuggling empire she had built should she try to sever her ties with him. She knew she was tip toeing through a mine field, but she didn't care. She would get what rightfully was hers and hers alone, Raven be damned.

As the helicopter approached the helipad on the Tower's roof top she saw the access door open after which Robin, Starfire and Cyborg emerged and walked over to the helipad. The pilot gently landed the chopper and shut off the engines. Without waiting Terra opened the door and stepped off the vehicle. She walked straight to the three Titans, who were standing with crossed arms.

"What do you want Terra?" Robin asked curtly.

"I want to see BB."

"He does not wish to see you." Starfire replied. "You must now leave."

Robin noticed that Terra had a manila envelope in her hand.

"I'd like to hear that from him myself."

"Ain't gonna happen." Cyborg added.

Terra grinned.

"I think I'll go in and ask him myself." She said as she made her way to the access door.

Robin moved to block her path.

"You're not going in there Terra."

The geomancer chuckled.

"Oh, but I am. You see, the lease contract allows me to inspect the premises any time I want." She said as she slapped the manila envelope into Robin's hands. "Don't take my word for it, it's on page 27."

Terra pushed Robin aside and opened the access door.

"Don't bother. He's not here." Robin informed her.

Terra turned around with a frown on her face.

"What do you mean he's not here? Where is he?"

"We're not telling you." Cyborg replied as he grabbed the contract from Robin and slapped it back into Terra's hands. "And we don't have to tell you."

"So you had best make with the haste and leave." Starfire added.

Terra stared at her former teammates for a minute, then pulled the access door open once again.

"I think I'll still take a look."

Leaving the Titans behind Terra rushed down the stairs to the habitat level. She burst out of the stairwell and made a bee line to Beast Boy's room. His door was unlocked and she entered. She was momentarily surprised by the room's tidiness but ignored it. She walked over to his desk and frowned as she saw a portrait of Raven sitting on it but her demeanor changed when she saw another object sitting on it as well: the heart shaped jewel box he had made for her. Smiling she removed an envelope from an inside pocket in her suit's jacket and placed it on his desk. The only writing on the envelope was 'Read me' written in her own script.

* * *

Raven and Beast Boy were once again walking down the streets of Azarath. By this point the word of Raven's return had made the rounds throughout Azarath and the changeling noticed that a small crowd had formed and was following them. He kept looking over his shoulder and Raven noticed.

"Just ignore them Gar. They'll give us our space."

He shrugged his shoulders.

"They worship the ground you walk on Rae. No one on Earth ever thanked you for saving us from Trigon, not even government or even the Justice League."

"We don't do it for the acknowledgement Gar, we never have. It's nice when we get it, but you know as well as I do that we don't expect it."

"Well, I'm glad your people appreciate you."

Raven stopped suddenly and spread her arms. A black disk formed on the ground and taking his hand she stepped on it and he followed. The disk silently took off leaving the crowd behind. Once they had gained some altitude she spoke.

"I don't consider them to be my people anymore Gar. I never thought this would happen, but I feel like an outsider in Azarath." She paused. "I know I've made speeches about not judging other cultures but I'm feeling uncomfortable here."

"The polygamy?" He asked.

"I could handle that if women didn't treat their men like property." She said as the alabaster tower drew closer. "Only the matriarchs and upper class Azarathian women are allowed more than one husband so it isn't really that common."

"Raven, what did you friend mean by 'men are only good for one thing'?"

Raven sighed.

"She meant that men are merely sexual playthings. Married men are not allowed to work outside of the home. They raise the children while their wives work. They have no voice in how society is run. Also public displays of affection are forbidden here."

Beast Boy looked surprised.

"So what happens to those who … don't behave?"

"They're sent into exile. More than a few Azarathian men have wound up on Earth. I've helped them adapt to Earth society. I was able to negotiate with the European Union to accept them, which is why you've never seen any of them."

"You mean first strike and they're out?"

Raven nodded.

"It's incredibly traumatic for them. I helped to set up a halfway house for them in a small town in Austria. It takes them on average a year to prepare to integrate into European society."

"I had no idea you did all that Raven. I thought you went off to Europe to look for old books."

"I did that as well. I never told you guys about the halfway house because I was so ashamed…"

"It's not your fault Rae. You can't help it if Azarath is so …"

"… backward." She completed the sentence as the disk began to descend towards the base if the building. "I'm lucky I was raised in the monastery by Azar and the monks. They were always opposed to the status quo."

As the disk descended Beast Boy could see a crowd forming around the entrance to the Roth Tower. A platoon of female warriors had established a security perimeter and kept the mob at bay as Raven landed her circular magic carpet, which vanish as soon as they touched down. Still holding his hand Raven led Beast Boy into the building's main lobby, where they were greeted by a woman who was wearing what must have been the Azarathian equivalent of a security guard uniform. The woman couldn't take her eyes off the couple's intertwined fingers. She discreetly approached Raven.

"Miss Roth." She whispered. "You're holding his hand."

"I know."

The woman looked disturbed, as if she didn't know what to do. Meanwhile Beast Boy looked around the massive lobby area. It was tall and wide enough to contain Titans Tower in its entirety. There were people, woman actually, who had been in the process of coming and going to places who had stopped dead in their tracks when they recognized Arella's heiress. Finally the woman regained her composure.

"I'm afraid your mother is not home to greet you Mistress. I can have someone show you to your penthouse while you wait for her." She glanced nervously at Beast Boy. "May I ask Mistress; is this man your 'first'?"

"No, he is not, at least not yet." Raven replied in her monotone.

"Very well." The woman replied. "I'll have a room prepared for him in the male servants' quarters."

"You will do no such thing. He will stay with me."

The security chief gave Raven an alarmed look.

"Mistress, are you sure you want to do that?"

"Positive." Raven replied curtly as she made her way to the elevator banks. The security chief gestured to another woman who bolted, running after them.

"Meru will show you to your penthouse Mistress." She called out to Raven.

As the three entered the executive lift and the doors closed behind them the woman let out a sigh of relief.

"Why did she ever have to return? She is nothing like her mother."

A security guard who was standing next to her nodded in agreement.

* * *

A shorter chapter, but we're moving along.

You have all been quiet out there in fanfictionland. You've been reading but not reviewing, probably because the story is … well … familiar.

So I'm going to have you play a game!

Do you remember any times in the show were Raven and BB had physical contact? The two best known ones are when Raven hugs BB (Spellbound) and when he hugs her (The End Part 3). But there are many, many others. Do you remember them? Bonus points if you can name the episode.


	7. Chapter 7

Ok, here are standard disclaimers. I do not own, nor claim to own any rights to the Teen Titans, or any other borrowed characters. I also make no claims towards any original characters I invent for this story.

* * *

Meru unlocked the penthouse door and stepped aside, allowing Raven to enter. Beast Boy followed her in, earning himself an unfriendly glare from the security woman. He gave her a weak smile before refocusing his attention on the apartment's interior. Its elegance was stunning, beyond anything he had seen before.

"I guess your mom is rich." He whispered as he looked around, still wide eyed.

Meru followed them in and closed the door behind her.

"Your penthouse has been kept ready, awaiting your return Mistress. It will be programmed to recognize your bio signature. Other than for your personal maid, Gayla, it will open for no one else."

"It needs to open for Garfield too." Raven deadpanned. Meru tensed up upon hearing the request.

"Yes Mistress, we'll add his bio signature to the computer. The bar should already be stocked. We can begin with the tour if you wish …"

"That won't be necessary, you may now leave. Inform me when my mother returns." Raven commanded the woman, who bowed to her before leaving.

Beast Boy wandered around the huge apartment. The living room alone was twice as large as the common room back home. Raven caught up with him and took his hand.

"Let's go find our room." She invited him. He grinned as they walked together.

"Rae, what did that woman mean when she asked if I was your first?"

"She wanted to know if you were my first husband."

"Then why didn't she say that?"

"It's just a convention Gar. The word 'husband' is redundant given the context of the situation."

"I should have figured as much."

As they made their way down the hallway they passed 4 identical bedrooms. Beast Boy peered inside the first one and was taken aback at how big and well appointed it was.

"Whose rooms are these?"

"They're the husbands' rooms."

He rubbed the back of his neck.

"I guess that kind of makes sense, they can't all sleep in your … I mean the Matriarch's room."

"They aren't allowed to enter her bed chamber. The Matriarch decides who she wishes to have intercourse with on any given night and has a rendezvous in his room. Once the deed is done she will return to her room. At least that's how it's done in theory."

As Raven finished her impromptu lecture they reached the entrance to her room. Once again the changeling was stunned by the sight the greeted him. The opulence was mind boggling, as was the octagon shaped bed. It was 20 feet wide and had a post in each of its eight corners that supported a massive canopy over head, giving it the appearance of a gazebo.

"So what do we do now?" He asked.

Raven levitated and glided over the bed, landing next a large pile of pillows at what appeared to be the headboard. She kicked off her shoes and removed her cape.

"Let's take a nap." She purred to her boy toy as she patted the space next to her.

The changeling smiled as he climbed onto the massive bed.

"Is this legal Rae?" He asked in jest.

"I'll make it legal." She joked back as they snuggled up together. They were rather tired after their journey and were soon asleep.

* * *

Robin flipped through the papers as he sat at his desk. As soon as Terra left he called the Mayor and asked him for a copy of the lease contract. He finally reached page 27 and as Terra had predicted there was indeed a clause that gave her and Slade access at any time between 7 AM and 9PM to inspect the Tower while the Titans resided there. As he tossed the contract on his desk his office door slid open, revealing Starfire's shapely figure.

The princess was just one month short of her 21st birthday. The years had passed by quickly and the Tamaranian's figure had matured and she had the curves to prove it. Raven was a whole year younger than the princess and she too had blossomed in a voluptuous woman. Deep down he didn't believe that the sorceress and the changeling had remained innocent during their nightly slumber parties, but he knew that it was none of his business. In any case he knew that it was only a matter of time before the two formalized their pairing. She hadn't taken him home to meet mother for the heck of it. His only worry was that they were right for each other. But that was his job, to worry about his teammates' wellbeing.

Robin's office was dark and except for the small banker's lamp on his desk there was no other source of light in the room. Starfire's silhouette stood at the doorway, teasing Robin with its inviting curves.

"What's up Starfire?" He asked, unable to hide the weariness in his voice.

"Cyborg has concluded his examination of the letter that Terra left in Beast Boy's room. He says that his instruments were unable to detect any eavesdropping devices or the boob traps in it."

"Booby traps." He corrected her. "So it really is just a letter?"

"That is Cyborg's conclusion."

"What do you think Starfire? Should we open it and read it?"

The princess walked over to Robin, who was still at his chair and sat down on his lap. She wrapped an arm around his neck.

"Cyborg believes that it might be a love letter." She replied. "If so, it would not be appropriate to read it as it would violate Beast Boy's privacy."

"Even if it's not a love letter there are ethical issues with reading it without his permission." He replied. "But what if she's threatening him, vowing revenge for becoming Raven's boyfriend?"

The princess ran her fingers through Robin's dark hair.

"I was most disturbed by Terra's demeanor Robin. It was as if she was a different person. When she was Slade's apprentice she was still herself, but now it is as if something has happened to her. There is something dark, something … evil about her that I cannot identify. Even Raven had a hard time reading her emotions. She said that Terra's mind was a 'closed book' and that she could not penetrate its barrier."

"Where is the letter?" He asked her.

"It is still in the evidence room. Cyborg is trying to scan it without opening the envelope, but it is proving to be a most challenging task as the envelope is lined with lead."

"She knew we would try to peek." He commented absentmindedly. He then looked lost in thought.

"They're going to be gone for two weeks. It might have important information in it. I think we should open it before they come home. Come on Star; let's go to the evidence room."

The princess nodded and reluctantly rose from Robin's lap. The two hurried out of Robin's office and made their way down the hallway to the evidence room. Cyborg was still trying to scan an image from the shielded letter as they entered the room.

"It's no use. I can't scan through the envelope." He informed Robin.

Robin picked up the letter and clicked a bird-a-rang open, ready to use it as a letter opener.

"We're opening it." He replied as he cut the envelope open.

The envelope contained a single sheet of paper that was handwritten in Terra's script. Robin read it carefully before addressing his teammates.

"Well?" Cyborg asked.

Robin sighed.

"It's a love letter, a really desperate love letter."

"Desperate?" Starfire asked.

"Pathetic is probably a better description. I felt embarrassed when I read it. She's begging Beast Boy to take her back, groveling actually."

"Robin, what will happen when he declines her offer? What will she do?" Starfire asked.

Robin handed the letter back to Cyborg for further analysis.

"That's a good question Starfire. At this point I have no idea, but I think we should expect the worst."

The two other Titans nodded in agreement.

* * *

Raven slowly woke up from her leisurely nap. The air in the room was balmy and she felt relaxed as she woke up.

Her head was resting on Beast Boy's shoulder while she wrapped her arm around his waist, and she moaned happily as she drew him closer to her. She couldn't think of a better way to wake up, that is until she hear the sound of someone clearing her throat.

Raven rolled over, carefully as to not wake her beau, towards the sound.

"Hello mother." She said with a hint of sleepiness in her voice.

Arella stood at the edge of the bed, her arms crossed and her frown was framed by her own violet hair. Raven sighed and sat up slowly so as not to disturb the changeling's slumber.

"I thought he was a teammate Raven." Arella spoke, her voice dripping with disapproval.

"He is mother. But he's more than that, a lot more." Raven whispered back.

"How much more?"

Raven stood up and led her mother away from the bed.

"I think he might be the one Mother."

"You think? You sure seemed to be cozy with him."

"We love each other." Raven continued to whisper. "I just wanted you to meet him."

Arella looked critically at the sleeping Titan.

"Why did you pick him? I think the masked boy is more handsome."

"Robin?" Raven spoke up. "More handsome? I think you might need eyeglasses mother."

"But Raven … he's … he's green."

"And I'm gray!" The sorceress snapped back at her mother. "I can't believe that of all people you would object to that. "

"Never mind Raven, I'm sorry I said that." Arella apologized as she shifted her weight back and forth between her feet. "So you really think he's the one?"

Raven nodded, while Arella scratched her head.

"Well, I suppose you have your reasons Raven … so have you two … I mean … have you been …"

"Intimate?" Raven completed her sentence. "No mother, we haven't. Gar has never even hinted at it."

"Saving yourselves for the honeymoon then?"

"Yes mother, I guess you could put it that way."

Arella sighed.

"What's wrong mother? I can sense that you're feeling uneasy. Do you have bad news?"

The violet haired Matriarch gestured her daughter to follow her out of the room. Raven complied with the request and followed her into the room that would serve as her office. Like the other rooms it was large and very well appointed. Arella closed the door behind her.

"Are you going to tell me what's going on Mother?" Raven needled her.

"You're my only heiress, Raven." The elder Roth finally confessed. "Without you the house of Roth is finished. Without an heiress the other Matriarchs could force me to liquidate my holdings and send me back to Earth."

Raven's eyes betrayed her surprise.

"Would they really do that?"

"They would."

Raven frowned at her mother.

"I didn't come back to claim my inheritance, if that's what you're thinking. We're going back to Earth mother."

Arella shook her head.

"Raven, Raven, you are Azarath's equivalent of the prodigal son."

"Not quite Mother, I didn't come back to ask for a job. I'm not the prodigal daughter."

"Then why did you come back?"

Raven paused before answering.

"I just wanted your blessing Mother. He's going to be your son-in-law some day."

Arella walked away from Raven, gazing through the large window at the view of Azarath from the towering heights.

"If it is that important to you then you have my blessing."

"So you approve then?"

Without turning around Arella replied.

"I think you could do better, but it's your choice to make daughter. I'll arrange for the wedding, we can do it next week."

"Next week?" Raven asked in surprise. "Aren't we getting ahead of ourselves here?"

"So what timeframe did you have in mind?"

Raven scratched her chin.

"I haven't really thought about it. Maybe in a year or two. Gar and I haven't really discussed it yet."

"That's going to complicate things." Arella replied.

Raven furrowed her brow as she puzzled over what her mother had just said.

"Raven, you know that if you aren't married by your twentieth birthday you will lose your rank as a Matriarch. And your 20th is approaching."

"So what? I don't want to be a Matriarch. I'm going back to Earth, remember."

Arella bit her lower lip.

"You know the law Raven."

"You wouldn't."

Arella looked briefly at her daughter before turning away again.

"You leave me no other choice Raven. If you won't marry of your own volition then I'll pick a groom for you and force you to marry him. I have the law on my side."

"You're picking a fight with the wrong Roth mother." Raven snarled.

"Then just marry the boy."

"You haven't even met him mother."

"Does it matter? You seem pretty smitten with him."

Raven sighed. "This isn't how I wanted it to be. It's way too soon. And our friends back home will be upset that they weren't present …"

Arella waved her objections away.

"You can have another ceremony when you get home."

"It's not the same mother."

Arella took a deep breath, calming herself in the process.

"What is his name, his real name?"

"Garfield, Garfield Mark Logan."

"I see." Arella said as she made her way to the door to leave. "Bring your Garfield to my apartment for dinner at 7 PM. I'd like to get to know my future son-in-law."

Without waiting for a reply Arella walked out the door.

"He's a vegetarian!" Raven shouted before Arella closed the door behind her.

Arella turned around.

"I know." She replied as she shut the door.

* * *

Terra slammed the door shut as she stormed into her penthouse apartment. She grabbed the first object she saw, a Ming vase, and threw it against a wall, smashing the precious artifact to smithereens.

"They never liked me, they always conspired against me. But if they think they can keep us apart they're wrong, they have no idea of how wrong they are."

Terra's phone chirped, indicating that it had received a text message. It was from Slade and simply said 'We need to talk'. Terra tossed her phone aside and sat down on the couch, still seething from the treatment she had received at the Tower. She still couldn't believe their insolence; they were hiding Beast Boy from her and even gloated about it.

She walked over to her workstation and opened a browser. She checked the global news wires to see if there was any news of the couple. Unless they were hiding in a hole in the ground they would be spotted somewhere, but after searching online for several minutes there was no sign of them. The eaves dropping system she had aimed at the Tower showed no signs of any sort of Titans network communications, not even encrypted messages. It was as if Beast Boy and Raven had simply vanished from the face of the Earth.

Terra continued to scan the logs the spy system had compiled since she last saw Beast Boy, but they were not very helpful, that is until she saw something odd.

A power surge had been recorded the day after she and Slade had visited the Tower. The sensor logs seemed to be confused regarding the nature of the surge. It certainly wasn't electrical or chemical in nature, and there were no radioactive signatures. It was as if it were … unnatural.

"Of course!" Terra shouted. "A portal, Raven opened one of her damn portals!"

Terra felt the excitement course through her veins as she was finally making some progress.

"She opens portals all the time." She talked to herself as her fingers danced across the keyboard. "So what was different about this one? Why was it so powerful?"

Terra stopped typing on the keyboard as the obvious conclusion hit her.

"She went home, the coward. She thinks she's safe there with him, out of my reach."

Terra's mind began to race as she tried to recall what little she knew about Raven, where she was from, who her family was, etc. She then grinned, knowing that Slade almost certainly had that information. She walked over to the coffee table and picked up her discarded mobile phone, hitting the speed dial.

"Slade, it's me … I agree, we need to talk … your place … dinner sounds good … I'll be there in an hour."

Terra grinned as she ended the phone call.

"Enjoy him while you can Raven. Where ever you are, I'll be there soon."

* * *

That was some good response to last chapter's game. You guys know your stuff! I think FelynxTiger came up with the most.

So this time we'll try another one: When Titans Eat!

Can you remember which Episodes where the Titans eat? The only requirements are that they handle the food. Sitting at the Pizza Place but not eating doesn't count. Examples: When BB eats two hot dogs or when Raven holds a nufu burger in her hands. They don't actually have to consume the food (I can only remember one time Raven actually chewed on something).

Bonus points of you can enumerate by character.


	8. Chapter 8

Ok, here are standard disclaimers. I do not own, nor claim to own any rights to the Teen Titans, or any other borrowed characters. I also make no claims towards any original characters I invent for this story.

* * *

Raven walked back into her room, her eyes transfixed on the still slumbering changeling. Her bare feet made no sound on the thick plush carpeting as she approached the bed and she stopped at its side.

She had known Garfield for five years now and had seen him transform from a geeky young boy into the young man he was today. He had matured slowly over the years, both emotionally and physically and had done it so gradually the she hadn't really noticed exactly when it was that he stopped being a boy and became a man.

"_Then just marry the boy." _Hermother's words echoed in her mind. He wasn't a boy, not anymore and she; she was no longer a girl.

Raven sighed. She was caught in what she knew was a no win scenario. If she didn't marry Garfield her mother would force her to marry some boring man from another Matriarchal family. Raven would not be able to defy her mother as Arella had the law on her side, and the law was enforced by magic. There would be no escaping from the Altar.

The changeling mumbled Raven's name in his sleep as he rolled over, clutching a pillow as he settled down back down. Raven bit her lower lip as she watched him. There was no doubt in her mind, he was the one. But she also knew that it was still too soon, far too soon. They had only formalized their relationship a few weeks before and now Arella was forcing her to ask him for something he was without a doubt not ready to do.

As Raven began to climb onto the bed he opened his eyes and smiled softly at her.

"Why did you get up?" He asked her in somnolent voice.

Raven completed her ascent into the huge bed and curled up next to him, kissing him gently.

"Mother was here."

"She was? Why didn't you wake me up?"

"She wanted to have a mother/daughter chat. Oh, and she invited us to dinner."

He wrapped an arm around her and returned her kiss.

"I could go for some dinner." He replied. He then noticed that Raven looked slightly troubled. "What's the matter Rae? Did you have a fight with her?"

"No, I didn't" She replied distractedly, before refocusing on him.

"Gar, we've known each other for a long time. It's been about 5 years now, right?"

He nodded in reply.

"Gar, I don't think I know I know anyone better than I know you."

"Me too Rae."

Raven paused before continuing.

"Gar, have you thought about the future?"

"The future? You mean ours?"

"Yes … our future, have you or do you?"

"Yeah sure, a lot actually."

"What do you think of it?" She asked apprehensively.

He smiled and looked deep into her eyes.

"I want us to be together forever."

Raven threw her arms around him and gave him a hug worthy of Starfire's mighty arms.

"Thank you."

Beast Boy hugged her back and they remained in silent embrace. He could feel her heart beating as their chests were pressed tightly together.

"You mean you didn't know?"

"I guess I did, it just helps to hear it."

He released her from his embrace and ran his ungloved hand through her scented violet hair.

"What did your mom say Raven? Is it about us?"

The sorceress proceeded to relate her encounter with her mother to him, explaining in detail the situation she was now in. He was unable to hide the shock and surprise he was feeling and Raven's face fell.

"I'm so sorry about this Gar. This is so unfair to you. We shouldn't have come here, it was mistake." She said as she fought back her tears.

"Well, I guess our hand is being forced, but it's OK Rae. You know what though? I think I'm feeling kind of excited now."

"Thanks, I just don't want you to think I'm taking you for granted. "

He gave her a reassuring smile.

"I know you don't Rae."

Raven felt as if the weight of the whole world had been lifted from her shoulders. But one issue remained.

"There is one thing that you need to know Gar. Azarathian marriages, they're different from Earth marriages. They can't be dissolved except through death."

"You mean there's no divorce? Why would I even worry about that?"

She placed her hand on his forearm.

"I know, but you deserve to understand what you are getting into. Also, Azarathian marriages also carry an infidelity curse."

"A curse, really?"

"Yes Gar, if a husband is unfaithful to his wife the curse will kill him. He will be consumed by a horrible disease and die a painful death."

The changeling' eyes grew wide upon hearing the deadly marital safeguard.

"And what about the women?" He asked.

Raven dropped her head in shame.

"The curse only applies to husbands, not the wives. I'm sorry Gar, there is no way around the curse, and once the Priestess performs the ceremony it will be there for the rest of your life. If you don't want to go through with this, I'll understand." She replied in a whisper as she turned away from him.

Raven no longer expected or hoped that he would join her in the one sided Azarathian marital bond, and she didn't blame him. For him to accept such a humiliating and demeaning offer was more than she could expect from him. If the roles were reversed she didn't know what she would do, but there was no doubt she would be hesitant to accept an offer to enter into such a lopsided relationship. She braced herself as she waited to hear his rejection and began to wonder what sort of man would her mother select for her.

Beast Boy then did something that caught her completely off guard. He hopped off the bed and stood. He then took her hands and pulled her up so that she was seated on the edge of the bed.

"I want to do this right." He said as he dropped down onto his right knee.

Raven's eyes bulged.

"Wait!" She shouted as she hopped off the bed, also dropping onto her own right knee. He smiled bashfully as she took his hands into her own. She gently caressed them before raising his hands to her lips and kissing his palms.

"This is it huh?" He asked her with a hint of nervousness.

"Yeah, this is it."

The both knelt silently and until they broke it together.

"Will you …" They began simultaneously and stopped mid sentence. They both stopped breathing as they stared into each other's eyes.

"Yes!" They answered in unison and hugged each other.

"I love you." She whispered into his ear. "And I want to show you just how much I do love you."

* * *

Terra rang the doorbell and waited. She had never been to Slade's penthouse, even though it was located in the tower next to the one where her own apartment was located. Her arms were crossed and she impatiently drummed her fingers on her own biceps as the impatience began to well up in her. Just as she reached a second time for the ornate bell ringer, which was done up in an exaggerated baroque style, the door slowly opened.

"The master is waiting for you." An old man greeted her.

Terra followed Slade's valet into the apartment. He was the old man that had served Slade as his butler since the days when the Titans were still wearing diapers. His appearance was decrepit and Terra thought that he looked almost as gray as Raven. He led her into the ample living room, in which artifacts almost as bizarre as those found in Raven's abode were on display. She had to fight her inner instincts to not recoil at the sight of a stuffed, four eyed bird. A black bird.

A raven.

"Dinner will be served in 15 minutes Miss Markov. The master will join you shortly. May I offer you some refreshment?"

"A scotch and soda." She deadpanned.

"Excellent choice. I will prepare it for you immediately. Please make yourself comfortable." The majordomo replied as he left the room.

The geomancer began to wander around the room, perusing through Slade's collection of the weird and the macabre.

_This is a side of Slade I never saw before._

Terra heard footfalls approach and turned around, expecting the butler with her drink. She guessed wrong, as it was Slade who entered the room. She raised an eyebrow in undisguised curiosity as Slade wasn't wearing his usual mask. Instead he was wearing a half mask which covered only the upper portion of his face, exposing his mouth. She had never seen any part of his face before and she could see that the right side of his face had once incurred some serious damage as his exposed skin was scarred and discolored.

"I didn't know you had a special dinner mask Slade." She greeted her partner in business and crime.

Slade chucked as he approached her.

'It can be challenging to eat dinner while wearing my regular mask."

She sat down on one of the Italian leather couches. Another new facet of Deathstroke the Terminator. Since when did Slade have such exquisite taste, she wondered to herself.

"I always wondered why Trigon didn't restore you so wouldn't have the scars."

"It wasn't part of the deal we made." He deadpanned. "A deal he didn't keep."

"I see." She replied as Slade sat down opposite her. The butler returned with Terra's drink, which she consumed in a single gulp before returningthe glass to the tray in the butler's hands, indicating that she wanted another one.

"So did you find what you were looking for at our Tower?" Slade asked.

"No I didn't. Raven and Beast Boy were both gone."

"That is a shame, your trip there was in vain."

Terra leaned back, putting her hands behind her head.

"They're not going to accept our offer Slade. They aren't going to work for us."

"That much was obvious from the beginning Terra." He deadpanned in his signature monotone.

Terra stood up and began to pace around the room.

"Slade, you never told me what you did for Trigon. What kind of deal did you make with him?"

The one eyed villain carefully studied Terra before replying.

"I returned his daughter to him. He promised to restore my mortal body if I delivered her to him, which I did. He double crossed me however, and paid dearly for that mistake."

Terra looked astonished.

"I never knew that he had a daughter. It must suck to be her." She sniggered as the butler returned with a refill.

"It certainly does. I know that her past haunts Raven to this day."

Terra dropped her glass of Scotch on the floor.

"You're kidding me, right? Raven is Trigon's daughter?"

"It is the truth Terra."

"So Raven's a demon? Well, that sure explains a lot." She said breathlessly.

"Half demon." Slade corrected her. "Raven's mother is a human female who lives in Azarath."

"Azarath? Isn't that the first word in her mantra?" She asked in a puzzled voice. "So is it a place, like an alien planet?"

"Not quite so Terra. It's a place that resides in another dimension. I had the pleasure of visiting it before Trigon destroyed it."

"So Raven has no place to call home now?"

"Actually she does. After defeating Trigon Raven restored both Azarath and Earth from their destruction, and unintentionally freed you from your stony form in the process."

Terra nodded as she processed everything Slade had told her.

"So that's how I was freed."

"Precisely." Slade affirmed as the butler returned.

"Dinner is served Master."

"Excellent!" Slade replied. "I have a full appetite tonight. Come Terra, we still have to discuss what we will do about the Titans, especially the changeling."

Terra rose from her seat and followed Slade into the dining room.

_Now how will I get to Azarath if it's in another dimension?_ She pondered silently.

* * *

The elevator chimed as the doors snapped open, revealing a matronly middle aged woman, who happily exited from the lift. She was laden down with several packages and bags which she carried and she hummed happily as she walked down the long hallway, stopping in front of a door. She placed her palm on the hand reader and the display above it flashed her name: 'Gayla'.

The door slid open and Gayla walked in as she continued to hum to herself. She looked around the living areas of the apartment and finding no one there she made her way to the bedrooms. Without announcing herself she entered the main bedroom, the one belonging to the Matriarch.

And stifled a scream.

The chambermaid couldn't believe what she was seeing. It was an affront to Azarathian sensibilities and morality. She dropped the packages she was carrying and stood paralyzed, unable to move or speak as she stared at the horror before her.

And a horror it was, for before her Raven was lying asleep, completely naked, next to an also undressed green male. Her body was draped around his and as to what had transpired earlier, there was no doubt in Gayla's mind. It was an outrage. Raven herself was a Matriarch and somehow she had committed this unspeakable act.

Gayla's limbs began to obey her once again and she bolted from the scene, collecting the packages from the floor that would have given witness to her presence. Before she knew what had happened she was already in the hallway outside of the apartment and was beginning to hyoerventilate. Still in full panic mode she vacillated on what to do next. That was when the elevator chimed and its doors opened once gain. Arella stepped off the lift and stared at the chambermaid.

"Gayla, what is the matter? What has happened?"

By this point Gayla was in tears.

"I cannot tell you Mistress." She sobbed.

"Tell me what?" Arella demanded. "Are we in danger? Tell me Gayla, or will call security."

Gayla composed herself before replying.

"It's so shameful Mistress, I am so sorry!"

"What did you do Gayla?" Arella asked testily.

"I, I, I entered Mistress Raven's room."

"And what is wrong with that …" Arella asked before her face betrayed that she was experiencing a gestalt moment. "… oh, I see." She continued with knowing smile.

"Do not concern yourself with whatever you saw in Raven's room. Whatever it was, it never happened and you never saw it. Do you understand?"

Gayla bowed to Arella repeatedly.

"Thank you Mistress, thank you." Gayla sobbed. "I, I will now return to my housekeeping duties, with your permission My Lady."

Arella smiled.

"Go, and do not concern yourself. You may leave Raven's packages in my apartment before you leave."

"Thank you Mistress." The chambermaid replied before taking off.

Arella slowly walked up to the entrance to Raven's apartment. She raised her palm to the hand reader but stopped before making contact. Instead of opening the door she smiled slyly before turning around and heading off to her own penthouse.

"One down, three to go." She congratulated herself.

* * *

No game today (I couldn't think of one).

Thanks for your reviews.


	9. Chapter 9

Ok, here are standard disclaimers. I do not own, nor claim to own any rights to the Teen Titans, or any other borrowed characters. I also make no claims towards any original characters I invent for this story.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

A gentle breeze blew on the lofty mountaintop summit. The sky was virtually free of clouds and the temperature was pleasant. The gentle sound of a guitar being strummed wafted through the air, interlaced with mirthful laughter and friendly banter.

Jericho sat on a rock as he continued to pluck the strings on his instrument as Kole and The Herald sat in front of him, eating a picnic lunch while Gnark sat nearby eating a special lunch Kole had prepared for him.

"This was a great idea; I wonder why we don't get together more often." Kole enthused.

"We should invite the Titans to join us." The Herald chimed in. Immediately the mood on the mountaintop changed.

"Haven't you heard the news Herald?"

Kole proceeded to explain the latest news from the Tower to the trumpeter. Once she concluded he was visibly disturbed by what he had heard.

"I've never felt so useless." He finally commented. "I can fight supervillains, but how do we fight an economic crisis?"

Jericho put his guitar down.

"_What disturbs me is that Slade is now considered a hero, an economic savior in Jump City."_ He signed to his friends. "_He is my father, but I do not trust him_."

The group fell silent as the unfortunate truth they wished would go away reared its ugly head.

"Maybe we should call them, see how they're doing." The Herald volunteered as he reached for his Titan communicator. Before he could flip it open it chirped, signaling that there was an incoming call. He flipped it open and frowned when we saw a shrouded figure on the communicator's screen.

"Who are you?" He barked. "Identify yourself!"

The hidden figure replied in an electronically scrambled voice.

"I have your parents." The mysterious figure replied. "If you wish for them to remain alive, you will do as I say."

The screen panned to the right and The Herald saw that the threat was not an idle one. His parents were bound and sitting on a small couch, while two men whose faces were hidden behind ski masks pointed their weapons at their heads.

"Don't listen to them son!" The middle aged man shouted before he was pistol whipped by one of the thugs and was rendered unconscious. The screen panned back to the mystery figure.

"What do you want!" The Herald snarled. "If you hurt them you'll pay!"

"Whether or not any permanent harm comes to them is entirely up to you." The scrambled voice replied. "Will you do as I say?"

"I'm listening."

"Good. Here is the deal. I need to travel between dimensions, possibly several times. Once my journeys are complete I will release your parents. Do you accept?"

"Like I have any choice." He snarled. "But don't even think of double crossing me. If you do I'll have every Teen Titan hunt you down…"

"Do not tell the Titans about our agreement." She interrupted. If they find out the deal is off and your parents will die. Do you understand?"

"Yes." He replied somberly. "When do we start?"

"In one hour. Meet me at this address in Los Angeles." She answered as text appeared on the screen. "And come alone."

The screen went blank and the young man flipped his communicator shut.

"You aren't really going there, are you?" Kole asked.

"What choice do I have? They have my folks." He lamented. "But how did they find out who my parents are? It's supposed to be a secret."

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Raven and Beast Boy silently got ready to go have dinner with Arella. Raven had found a package left in the living room that contained a Matriarch's outfit for her. She shunned the immaculately white cassock and cape and dressed in her signature Titan costume instead.

After snapping shut the clasp on her cape she took her lover and fiancé's hand in her own.

"Ready Gar?" She asked him.

"So were gonna tell her?" He asked.

She nodded.

"Yes. I'll ask her to schedule the ceremony ASAP, so we can go home."

He hugged her and released her with a sigh.

"The guys back home are totally gonna freak out when we tell them."

"They will." She agreed. "But it will be a good kind of freak out."

"We hope." He replied as they made their way to Arella's apartment.

The walk down the hallway was silent as the young couple pondered everything that had happened in the span of just a few hours. Beast Boy felt a shiver of both excitement and anxiety travel up and down his spine. He had just proposed to and made love with whom in his opinion was the most beautiful girl in existence and they were going to tell Arella that they had agreed to wed. He had no idea what to expect at the dinner that awaited them in this topsy turvy world, but he knew that with Raven at his side he could handle anything it threw at him.

At least that's what he hoped.

Raven placed her palm on the reader and the door to Arella's apartment opened. A female butler met them in the foyer, greeting Raven while ignoring Beast Boy and led them to the dining room.

"Ah Raven, punctual as always." Arella greeted her.

Beast Boy stiffened as he saw the crowd of Matriarchs seated around the table, all of them wearing the phoniest smiles he had ever seen. An old crone, a woman who looked to be at least 80 years old stood up with surprising vigor and walked up to Raven, shaking her hand.

"Welcome home dear! You have no idea of happy I am to see you!"

"Thank you, Xanathia." Raven replied hesitantly.

"Nonsense, it should be us thanking you. Were it not for you my dear Azarath would be lost."

"I had help …" Raven replied as she turned towards her fiancé.

"Oh yes, we heard that you have selected your first Raven. Congratulations!" The old woman beamed while she barely acknowledged Beast Boy's presence.

"You know? How? I haven't told anyone yet?"

The Matriarchs all laughed together. Mayra then replied.

"Why else would you bring a man to our celebration dinner, other than to present your betrothed to us?"

Raven calmed the surge of irritation that was surging through her.

"You are correct. Garfield and I are officially betrothed." She droned in her monotone.

Arella stood from her place at the table and gestured towards a doorway. Raven gasped when she saw a Priestess from the temple enter the room. She then remembered that Arella moved fast.

"Let's complete the formalities then, so we can continue with our dinner meeting." One of the Matriarchs suggested.

Beast Boy leaned over and whispered into Raven's ear.

"Rae, what's going on here?"

Raven took his hand and addressed the assembly at the table.

"Excuse us please, I need to speak with Garfield in private for a moment."

As Raven led him away he could see annoyed looks on some of the Matriarch's faces. She led him to the living room, which was even more opulent than the one in her own penthouse.

"I'm sorry Gar, we've been set up."

"Huh? What do you mean?"

"We're supposed to get married right now."

"Now? You mean we won't go to a church or something?" He asked, clearly caught off guard.

"It will be right here, in front of the Matriarchs. That woman who came into the room, she's a Priestess."

Beast Boy looked nonplussed.

"Wow, so like how is this done? I mean, I'm not dressed up nice or anything."

Raven sighed.

"I'm sorry Gar, but this ceremony, it's going to be humiliating for you."

He nodded.

"Oh yeah, husbands and wives aren't equals here. Don't worry Rae; I won't let it bother me."

Raven wrapped her arms around him and kissed him.

"When we get home we'll have a proper ceremony, one of equals, with our friends."

The changeling grinned.

"Like Star would let us get away without doing that. So what do I have to do?"

"You'll have to kneel before me. The Priestess will rattle off your vows and ask if you accept them. Once you do she'll then ask if I accept you as my husband, which I will. We will be legally married then."

Beast Boy smiled.

"That doesn't sound too bad Rae. I mean you are the boss…"

"NO! Don't say that, not even as a joke. You know I don't see you like that, and I want that to be clear in the house of Roth, starting with my mother."

"It's OK Rae, I was just kidding, but I'll stop."

Raven released him from her embrace and took his hand.

"Well Gar, are you ready?"

He gave her a solemn nod, after which the two returned to the dining room. Beast Boy noticed that most of the Matriarchs looked annoyed and impatient, as if they were being delayed up by a nuisance or a child throwing a tantrum. Mayra spoke up.

"Raven, we know that you have been away for some time and that Earth customs are different from ours …"

"Do not concern yourself Mayra; I was merely instructing Garfield regarding our marriage customs. He is prepared." Raven replied tersely in her monotone.

"Then let the ceremony begin!" Arella announced.

The priestess, a young woman dressed in s saffron colored robe approached the couple and stood between them. She turned to Beast Boy and in an authoritative voice commanded him to kneel, which he did. She removed a small scroll from her robe's sleeve and unrolled it.

"Your name, family name first." She addressed him.

"Logan, Garfield Mark." He replied as the woman inscribed it into the scroll.

"Garfield Mark of the house of Logan, do you swear to unconditionally obey Raven of the house of Roth, as well as your utmost and unwavering fidelity to her. Do you swear to be her loyal husband, to honor her and to never bring scandal or disrepute to her house and to serve her until the end of your days under the pain of the infidelity curse?"

"I do" He replied.

The Priestess continued writing into the scroll. Once she was done she turned to Raven.

"Raven of the house of Roth, will you take this man as your first husband."

"I do" She replied.

The Priestess placed the scroll on the table. After Raven signed her name on it Arella and Xanathia did the same. Beast Boy was not asked to sign the scroll. Once the witnesses and Raven had signed it the Priestess handed the scroll to Raven and took her leave after telling Garfield to stand up again.

"Well, now that has been taken care of we can get down to business…" Arella began.

"Not yet mother." Raven interrupted.

"What is it dear?"

Raven turned to Garfield and threw her arms around him, while kissing him passionately. The table was engulfed in scandalized murmurs. Raven then released her new husband.

"Raven!" He mother addressed her crossly. "We know that you've been living on Earth so we will overlook this impropriety." She then gestured at her butler. "Hera, please take Raven's first to the husband's table in the kitchen …"

"No!" Raven interrupted. "He is staying with me."

Raven saw some of the Matriarchs rolling their eyes while her mother blushed from the embarrassment Raven had forced her to endure. Feeling even more defiant she held her husband's hands as she addressed him.

"Garfield my beloved, I release you from the vows of obedience and servitude. You are my equal and I am proud of that. Also, I swear to forsake all others for you. I will take no other husbands while you live."

Mayra stood up indignantly.

"Raven, you cannot be serious! This is not Earth! You will remove your husband from this room, for he has no place here."

"If he is unwelcome here, then so am I." The sorceress snarled.

The matriarchs all stood up, glaring at the gray woman.

"It is time you learn your place in the order of things Raven." Xanathia hissed at her. "You might have saved us from Trigon, but that gives you no right to be insubordinate! Were you not a Matriarch I would initiate the exile proceedings for you."

"That would suit me fine." Raven retorted. "Garfield and I will return home tomorrow anyway."

"You can't, not tomorrow." Arella interrupted. "There is a celebration for your return tomorrow and the gates to the city will be closed. No will be able to enter or leave."

Raven sighed. "Fine, we'll stay for the celebration. But Garfield will be with me at all times."

Xanathia let out an exasperated sigh.

"Fine! If that will make you happy it will be allowed. But if the monos get any encouragement from this we will hold you responsible Raven."

Without saying a word Raven and Beast Boy left Arella's apartment. They quickly returned to Raven's own abode where she placed her hand on the palm reader, opening the door but she did not enter.

"Rae is something wrong?"

She took his hand and gave it a loving squeeze.

"Aren't you forgetting something Gar? We just got married."

A huge smile appeared on his face as he picked his wife up bridal style. She wrapped her arms around his neck and they shared a tender kiss, after which he carried her through the threshold and all the way to their bedroom.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

The truck driver sat grumbling in the traffic jam which was backed up almost a whole mile from the bridge that led into Azarath. She had been waiting over three hours now and was almost at the bridge, which was a small consolation to her. She had forgotten about the celebration tomorrow and that the city gates would be closed. Had she remembered she would have got up early to pick up the load of vegetables she was carrying and beat the traffic. It was of course too late to do anything about that and she flipped open her mobile communicator to call home and let her husband know she was going to be late for dinner. It was late in the day and the twilight was beginning to set in and while she chatted with him she failed to notice the dark portal that opened on the side of the road.

A dark masked man with a trumpet and a hooded figure emerged from the dark void and remained at the side of the road.

"That's Azarath over there." He pointed with his trumpet. "This is as close as I can get you, there's some kind of spell that blocks portals into the city."

The hooded figure examined the bridge and the port of entry it led to. The traffic jam was monumental and she could see through a pair of binoculars that the border guards were starting to wave trucks through without inspecting their cargo in order to clear the traffic before the gates were closed.

"I want you to come back to this spot once every 4 hours. If I do not return you may leave after 1 hour and return later. Do you understand?"

"Yes." The Herald replied.

"Do not abandon me here. If I fail to return in 72 hours my associates will execute your parents."

"What if you aren't here by 72 hours? What will happen to my parents?"

"Pray that it doesn't come to that." The scrambled voice replied. "You may now leave."

The hooded figure watched as the Herald stepped into the portal, which closed behind him. Once he was gone the hooded figure pressed a button on her wrist and she was shrouded with an invisibility shield. It wasn't a very good one as it would never get her past the border guards, but she had no problems climbing into the cargo hold of the nearest truck undetected by the bored truck drivers, many who were reading magazines or chatting on their communicators while the traffic slowly inched ahead.

The dark figure's timing was impeccable as the traffic was finally beginning to move. Within a few minutes the truck was at the inspection point. She eavesdropped as the border guard and the driver had an exchange of words.

"What have you got back there?"

"A load of vegetables for Roth Tower." The driver replied as she handed her manifest to the inspector who gave it a quick glance.

"Have you heard the news?" She asked the trucker.

"No, what is it?"

"You're not gonna believe it, but Raven Roth married that green boy she brought with her this afternoon."

"She married an outsider? You know, I always thought she was weird."

"You, me and half of Azarath." The inspector joked as she signed the manifest, handing it back to the driver. "You're clear to go. Are you going to the celebration tomorrow?"

"I don't want to, but my husband won't stop nagging me, so I guess we will."

"Men, can't live with, can't live without them." The inspector joked.

"No kidding, have a good one." The trucker replied as she drove past the checkpoint.

Terra lowered her hood.

"She didn't, no way, she didn't." She muttered as she was trembled with anger.

The geomancer recovered her calm and pondered her next move. She could stay in the truck and let it take her to Roth tower, but decided against that as it would be a good way to get caught. Instead she waited for the truck to pass through the access tunnel and she hopped off of it the next time it stopped. She blended into the crowd and quickly vanished.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

What happened to the reviews? You don't want me to get discouraged, do you?


	10. Chapter 10

Ok, here are standard disclaimers. I do not own, nor claim to own any rights to the Teen Titans, or any other borrowed characters. I also make no claims towards any original characters I invent for this story.

* * *

Robin sat back in his high back office chair, and surveyed the desktop before him. It was cluttered with all sorts of papers, envelopes, folders and photographs, which wasn't unusual. What was out of the ordinary was the sort of paperwork before him. There were many pieces of paper scattered across his desk and unlike in times past they did not contain scribblings or images regarding clues or investigation results.

They were computer printouts of the list of potential sponsors for the Titans. Some of the names were crossed out as Robin had already approached them and in most cases had struck out. Pledges had yet to break to $100,000 mark and the hope of raising 3 million a year was looking dimmer every day.

Robin wasn't once to give up and he had enlisted some help, which while still in its infancy was showing some promise. Still he kept hoping, if not outright fantasizing, that Raven and Beast Boy would return with something of value from Azarath.

There were also three manila folders sitting on his desk that stood out from the detritus that littered his desktop. Two of them were thinner and were labeled 'Robin' and 'Cyborg'. The third folder was more than twice as thick as the other two combined and was labeled 'Starfire'.

As reached forward to collect the three folders his intercom rang.

"Yes?"

"Yo Robin! Dinner's ready, so get your butt down here before it gets cold."

The Boy Wonder felt a hungry growl in his stomach, and recalled that he had skipped lunch while he worked all day in his office.

"Thanks Cy, I'm on my way."

Robin scooped up the three folders , rushed out the door and briskly walked to the common room. As he made his way there he looked back upon his decision to change fund raising tactics. It had actually been serendipitous. Robin, being the team's leader and spokesman had taken entirely upon himself the duties regarding fundraising and had performed them … poorly. He had once remarked offhandedly at dinner that getting pledges was like pulling teeth and had to explain to Starfire that dentists were not part of the fundraising process.

The potential donors were always very polite and almost always agreed to see him. But getting them to sign a check was another matter. There were always excuses; most of them were related to the poor state of the economy.

Starfire had noticed one morning that her beau was looking even more forlorn and discouraged than usual and offered to accompany him as he canvassed for pledges.

The truth was that Robin had not asked her to come with him before because he feared that she would commit some social faux pas that would be detrimental to his efforts. However, given his lack of success he figured that he had nothing to lose and agreed to have her join him on his quest.

To make a long story short, the day that she went with him was the best fundraising day they ever had as they collected more pledges in that single day than in all of his previous efforts combined. Being the detective that he was Robin immediately figured out why the donors were suddenly opening their wallets: Starfire was eye candy. And contrary to his earlier fears she knew how to turn on the charm. Big time.

The sliding doors to the common room parted open. Starfire was already at the table, serving salads from a large bowl while Cyborg approached from the kitchen. Robin sniffed the air and immediately recognized the wonderful aroma.

And frowned.

"Cyborg, you know we can't afford to eat steak!" He chided the tin man.

The bionic Titan served up the meal, which included some enormous baked potatoes and a bowl of sautéed green beans.

"Don't get your spandex in a knot. My dad sent me some money. These are on me." He said as he plopped a huge porterhouse steak on each of their plates.

"Thank your dad for me then." Robin replied contritely as he put the folders down next to his setting and joined his teammates at the table. Starfire reached for her ever ubiquitous bottle of mustard, which Cyborg intercepted.

"Oh no you don't! I'm not letting you ruin my steaks with mustard! Heck, they're too good for steak sauce."

The princess pouted, after which Cyborg handed the mustard to her.

"Man, I've become a pushover." He moaned as Starfire doused her slab of tender and perfectly prepared beef with the yellow colored sauce.

As they consumed their meal Robin filled them in on the new fundraising strategy. He had handpicked the potential donors he thought would be best suited each one of them. The princess picked up her much larger folder with a smug look of self satisfaction.

"I believe we will be victorious in our task."

"We will if you can turn on the charm like last time Star." He then chuckled. "I guess I'm glad Raven and Beast Boy aren't here. I don't think I'd want either of them doing this."

Cyborg chuckled. "Yeah, nokidding. I love 'em both, but I doubt either would be able to raise a dime. Raven would creep them out and BB would piss them off with his bad jokes."

Starfire was beginning to protest her disagreement when the console signaled an incoming call. Using his built in controller (where else, in his arm) Cyborg patched it through the screen.

It was Slade.

"What have you done with Terra Robin? I demand an answer!"

The three Titans stared at the screen dumbfounded.

"Excuse me?" Robin finally replied.

Slade's single eye narrowed in anger.

"Don't play coy with me, my former apprentice. Where is she?"

The three Titans became indignant.

"How are we supposed to know? She's your partner, not ours." Cyborg snarled. "We don't do foul play, that's your style, not ours. Why are you looking for her anyway? Doesn't she work you?"

Slade appeared to calm himself before replying in his signature monotone.

"Terra has been missing for almost 24 hours."

"Maybe she wised up and dumped you." Robin taunted Slade as Starfire giggled.

"This is no laughing matter prin-cess." Slade hissed. "Terra does not go missing."

"Maybe she doesn't Slade, but we no idea where she is. Now if you don't mind, we're eating dinner, so good night." Robin replied as Cyborg severed the link with Slade.

Robin looked at his teammates, who shrugged at him.

"I'd say that I'm heartbroken that Slade is having problems with Terra, but I really don't care." Robin said with a hint of glee in his voice.

Just then the console signaled another incoming call.

"He doesn't give up, does he?" Robin asked in an irritated voice.

"It ain't Slade Rob; this call is coming through the Titans network.

The large TV screen came back to life and displayed two worried faces that belonged to Kole and Jericho.

"Robin, I have some bad news."

She paused.

"The Herald is in trouble."

* * *

The purple haired Matriarch sat back down in her chair at the head of the dining room table as her servants began to serve the meal. The mood was tense as the other Matriarchs shifted uncomfortably in their chairs, clearly unable to enjoy the exquisite dinner that was prepared for them. The first course served was a thick and creamy soup which the women consumed quietly until Mayra broke the silence.

"You never told us that Raven was a mono Arella." She sneered. "I guess I can forget about her marrying my Herob."

"Or my Gowron." Another Matriarch complained.

Xanathia was the head of the Matriarchal council, the Crone Mother whose primacy was more than merely honorary in nature. And it was an authority she wasn't afraid of wielding.

"Arella, Raven has to take a second before the end of the month. You do understand the importance of this. If word gets out that she's a mono the movement will be emboldened. We won't be able to contain them."

"Who cares what the masses think?" Arella snapped back. "We have the power! As long as we provide the unwashed masses with jobs and husbands they'll stay in check."

"We have the power?" Yet another Matriarch interrupted. "In case you have forgotten Arella you are insolvent, bankrupt. You need us my dear, your house of cards is about to collapse!"

"The only reason we're thinking of bailing you out through clan marriage is because Raven is a hero." Mayra added. "She was going to legitimize the Council of Matriarchs and in the process hammer a nail into coffin of the heresy of monoism. But now she's on the verge of becoming their poster child, their hero."

"Look, we understand why you let her marry the green boy. You tossed her a bone. But dammit Arella, you're Raven's mother! Act like it if you want to save the House of Roth!" Xanathia chided her. "It's been 3000 years since a Matriarchal house has collapsed under bankruptcy and this is not the time for that to happen again, but before we can help your House you must get your daughter under control!"

Arella sighed. She had grown up on Earth and was the only human on the Council. She understood what her daughter was going through, the feelings she had for the boy. The women around her, they could never understand, even though they were supposedly Azarath's crème de la crème. How ironic it was that ordinary laborers who lived and toiled in the city had a better grasp on what made Azarath's most favored daughter tick than any of the snobby blue bloods that were gathered around her table.

"I will speak with Raven tomorrow. You do know that I have no legal recourse against her. She has taken her first; I can no longer force her hand…"

"Arella." Xanathia interrupted. "Tell her she need not consummate with her other husbands. We all know it would be pointless as our physicians have told us repeatedly that humans and Azarathians cannot procreate. Your own failure to produce offspring with your Azarathian husbands removes any doubt of that. And we know that you and Melvar have not failed due to a lack of trying, isn't that right Arella?"

Xanathia paused as she watched the human Matriarch frown.

"Arella, you've never told us who sired Raven, have you?" She continued.

"My personal life is none of your …" Arella snapped at her.

"Forgive me Arella." Xanathia interrupted. "I was out of line." The crone smiled slyly as the servants brought the main course to the table. "You will inform us before the celebration tomorrow that Raven as agreed to take Mayra's son Herob as her second. Have I made myself understood?"

"Yes, Xanathia." Arella replied meekly.

The dining room once again fell silent as the women continued eating their meal.

* * *

Raven stretched slowly as she woke up. The local sun, its name was Seraph, was rising above the horizon, warming the city in its morning amber glow. The bed was comfortable and she felt a fuzzy sense of contentment as she rolled over and draped an arm over her green husband, who continued to sleep soundly while emitting a soft but steady snore.

The only word that came to her mind to describe her wedding night was 'exquisite'. It didn't seem to make sense but it eclipsed the pleasure she experienced with him earlier the afternoon before, but there was an explanation.

Raven nuzzled her face into his neck and savored his powerful scent, which was mixed with his sweat. They had showered together the afternoon before their first lovemaking session and while that had been a sensual experience in its own right it had an unintended consequence: it had diluted his scent to the point where she couldn't smell it.

Later that day, after they were wed and Beast Boy had carried her through the threshold they didn't bother with a shower and quickly got down to their carnal business. That time he smelled like he usually did.

Back in the present Raven inhaled his scent deeply and repeatedly while he continued to sleep and she could literally feel her body temperature begin to rise.

The changeling had no idea the effect his scent had on Raven as she had masterfully concealed it over the years. It had been the real reason she had always kept him at an arm's length during the early days of their friendship. From the very beginning the mere act of smelling his natural musky aroma would send her over the edge. She could literally feel the carnal desire course through her veins as if her own blood was on fire. It was the main reason she had to meditate so much back then and it was the real threat to controlling her own powers. It was why she insulted him constantly in the vain hope that he would stay away from her.

But now he was hers, he was her man, band aids and excuses were no longer required. She now had a legitimate outlet for the lust he fueled in her and she no longer had to fear the consequences of expressing it.

She buried her face in his scalp and breathed deeply, savoring the aroma and the animalistic desire that it fed and which resonated throughout her whole body which virtually vibrated in anticipation. As she went into her supernatural heat she began to lose her own sense of self identity while her eyes glowed red and a guttural demonic growl resonated deep within her chest. Unconsciously she dug her fingernails deep into her mate's flesh. She wanted him, and she wanted him right there and then.

Suddenly she found herself staring into her lover's green eyes, which twinkled with delight.

"I don't know what you're doing Rae, but it's hot! Please don't stop." He moaned to to her.

"I don't intend to stop." She replied in her deep otherworldly voice. "Come to me my mate, let us join our flesh and become as one …"

The magic was shattered by a loud rap on their bedroom door. Raven's eyes quickly reverted back to their default amethyst color. Before either of them could respond Arella barged in, carrying some clothes on hangers.

"I brought you your outfits for today…"

"MOTHER!" Raven shrieked as she pulled a sheet to cover hers and Beast Boy's disrobed figures. "Can't I have any privacy with my husband?"

Arella dismissed Raven's protest with a hand wave.

"If you want privacy, then mate with him in his room, that's what it's for. Anyway, I am your mother, what are you concerned about anyway?"

The couple had completely retreated under the sheets, like a pair of turtles. Both were blushing profusely. Finally Beast Boy mustered the courage to speak.

"You're not my mother Arella."

The purple haired Matriarch gave him a sly smile. Beast Boy's face fell.

"Oh crap! Raven please tell me that …"

Raven planted her face in her palm.

"I'm sorry Gar, I should have told you. When we married you became a member of the House of Roth, leaving your own house behind. My mother is now legally your mother as well."

Beast Boy became indignant and sat up defiantly in the bed, pushing the sheets aside, unconcerned with his own nakedness.

"My mother is Marie Logan!" He snarled. "And no one can take her place, not my foster mother and certainly not you!"

Arella sat down in a large overstuffed chair.

"Relax Garfield; I'm not here to replace your biological mother. But since my daughter has married you, you are now my son, and are now my responsibility as the head of this clan."

Beast Boy relaxed upon hearing her words. Raven pulled a sheet over him again to cover his exposed body.

"Thanks, that's better. But you don't have to worry about us, Raven and I can take care of ourselves."

Arella chuckled.

"Yes, I know, you are both mighty super heroes on Earth …"

"We're super heroes in Azarath too mother. Or have you forgotten that Gar, our friends and I destroyed Trigon?"

Arella blanched upon hearing the vanquished demon's name. Beast Boy was able to see the pain on her face and could only imagine the memories his mother-in-law harbored, memories that without a doubt she wished she could eradicate, erase so that their sting and shame would no longer haunt her.

Arella looked at Beast Boy and felt a wave of gratitude flow through her soul. The boy had been his daughter's first friend and was loyal and faithful as few friends could be. Now he had gone a step further he had taken her as his mate, not because he coveted her wealth or power, but for the purest and most powerful reason of all: because he loved her.

"No, my daughter and son, I have not forgotten." She replied in a weak voice. "I will leave you now. Please forgive me for interrupting you." She said as she walked quietly to the door and stopped.

"Raven, once you are ready, please come see me by yourself, there are some issues I need to discuss with you."

With that Arella walked out the bedroom and the door slid shut behind her.

Beast Boy sighed.

"Wow, that was a mood killer, wasn't it Rae?"

She nodded her agreement.

"I don't suppose there's anything I could do, you know, to get us back into … you know …"

Without saying a word Raven approached him from behind, climbing up his back while wrapping her arms around his. She buried her face in his thick green hair.

And began to inhale deeply and repeatedly.

* * *

The construction workers, all female, were busy assembling the massive grandstand that began to tower over the parade route. Terra had been strolling around Azarath for the past few hours.

One of the first things the blond geomancer noticed when she arrived the night before was that the locals had unusual hair colors, not unlike those found in Japanese Anime shows. No one had black, brown or blonde hair and Terra realized that she stood out like a sore thumb with her yellow locks and her North American clothes. This of course was unacceptable and would have to be remedied immediately.

The first thing she did that night was find an unoccupied apartment, which she broke into. She had a small disguise kit she had brought along with her, and to her relief it contained a small bottle of blue hair dye which she applied immediately.

Once her hair was ready she ventured out into the apartment building's hallway. At this point serendipity smiled at her as she saw a young female of about her own size depart from her own apartment. She waited for the women to leave in the elevator before making her move.

She approached the door and using an eavesdropping device, another toy from Slade's arsenal, to check if anyone was inside. Upon confirming that it was vacant she used a high frequency oscillator to confuse the computerized door lock to open it.

She entered carefully, so as not to leave a clue that anyone had been there, and made her way to the apartment's bedroom, where she found a closet full of what appeared to be local female attire. Terra grabbed a couple of outfits and after carefully closing the closet door with her latex gloved hands she prepared to make her getaway, which was successful. After returning to her apartment she decided that rest was in order and was soon asleep.

Back in the present Terra stared at the grandstand, and in particular at the luxury box that was in its middle. She carefully studied the grandstands structure and the foundations it was built upon.

"May I help you?" A stern voice asked her.

Terra turned around and saw what appeared to be a policewoman.

"Uh yeah, what's the grandstand for?" Terra asked in a fake Azarathian accent.

"Haven't you heard?" The policewoman asked.

"I've been out if town all week and just got back last night. I barely beat the curfew."

"I see." The police woman replied. "Well, just so you know there's going to be a parade this afternoon in honor of Raven Roth."

"Raven Roth?"

"Yes, Raven Roth, Matriarch Arella's daughter. She returned yesterday from a place called Earth. She brought a green boy with her."

"Ooh! That Raven!" Terra replied in an attempt to conceal her cluelessness. "I heard she was some kind of superhero over there on Earth."

"That's the one." The policewoman replied. "Originally this was just to celebrate her return, but you won't believe this: she took her first and married the green boy last night."

Terra stifled a gasp.

"Well, that's … certainly worth celebrating." Terra commented. "So she should be sitting in that luxury box, right? If I want to see her is that where I should look?" Terra's fake accent faltered.

"Yes, right up there. She'll be seated with all the Matriarchs and the Mayor. Xanathia, the Crone Matriarch will be sitting right next to her." The policewoman replied as she pointed at the grandstand with Terra behind her.

"I see, you've been very helpful." Terra remarked, her fake accent completely gone.

"Are you Azarathian Miss? Your accent is strange." The police woman asked as she turned around towards Terra. "May I see your identity card?"

The police woman found that Terra was no longer behind her, she looked around the area but there was no trace of the bluenette. She shrugged it off and continued to proceed with her regular patrol.


	11. Story is back

Ok, here are standard disclaimers. I do not own, nor claim to own any rights to the Teen Titans, or any other borrowed characters. I also make no claims towards any original characters I invent for this story.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

OK, I decided to resurrect this story. After rereading the first 10 chapters I decided that this story was too good to let it die on the vine, even if no one reads or reviews it. So it's back, and I promise it will be very different from the original.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

"What's the matter Kole? What's going on with the herald?" Robin asked.

The crystalline hero quickly rattled off the details of the mysterious villain who had kidnapped The Herald's parents and was holding them captive, forcing The Herald to do his bidding.

"And his voice was disguised, correct?" Robin asked.

Kole and Jericho both nodded.

_It sounded artificial, like a robot._ Jericho signed.

Robin paced around the common room, furrowing his brow as he pondered the situation.

"Yo Rob, how did this guy figure out who The Herald's parents are? That's a tightly kept secret. Even BB and Raven don't know, just you and I do."

Robin turned to face his lieutenant, smacking his fist into his palm.

"It wasn't a guy. It was Terra."

"Robin! Are you certain of that?" Starfire asked.

"Beyond a doubt. Cy, remember that computer breach we had the day after Terra and Slade were here?"

"Of course I do. I caught it right away and plugged it up before any damage was done."

"It wasn't fast enough. Terra must have hacked into our database."

"Damn!" Cyborg moaned. "I knew we shouldn't have let them come in here."

"We didn't have a choice. But you guys know what this means? You know why she wants The Herald?"

Starfire gasped, the dots were finally connected.

"That's right." Robin concluded. "She used him to get to Azarath. She's after BB, or to be more precise she wants Raven's head on a platter."

Starfire's jaw began to tremble.

"She will catch them off guard! Robin, we must come to the aid of our friends!"

Robin nodded as he began to type furiously on the mission console.

"We will, but we have to rescue The Herald's parents first. We need him to take us to Azarath, and he won't do that until his parents are safe."

"How will you do that Robin?" Kole asked over the video link. "We have no idea where they're being kept."

A mug shot appeared on the console screen. It was of an El Salvadoran gang member, the head of the local branch of the infamous MS-13 gang, a gang that was infamous for its cold blooded violence.

"Leave that to me." He replied. "Starfire, I need your help on this one."

The princess beamed.

"I am ready to kick the gang banger butt, boyfriend Robin."

Seraph had risen 3 hours earlier, shining its orange glow over Azarath. The city came to life as the citizenry ran their morning errands. Other than the shops, which would close at noon, all businesses were shut down in observance of the one time, special occasion holiday. The city was in fact abuzz as the final preparations for the parade and celebration were being made to commemorate 'Raven Roth Day', and the truth was that everyone was quite excited about the event, everyone except a certain Raven Roth and her green husband.

It's not that Raven and Garfield Roth (as they were legally known in Azarath) were upset, far from it. They were simply oblivious to what was going on and for good reason: they were still asleep in Raven's huge octagonal shaped bed, or as Garfield called it 'The Gazebo'.

The eight poster bed had curtains that could be drawn to ensure Raven's privacy and they had been put to good use as the newlyweds had been up rather late re-consummating, repeatedly, until they could continue no more and fell asleep exhausted.

They slumbered peacefully next to each other, Raven's head resting on his shoulder and his arm wrapped around her chest. All was peaceful and serene until a violet colored head popped through the curtains.

Arella shook her head. She could tolerate their Earthly sleeping habits, but the purple haired Matriarch was disturbed by Raven's zest for her mate. It was so unlike her, Arella still remembered how emotionally repressed her daughter was when she ran away to Earth. Some of the priestesses had told her that since Trigon had been vanquished that Raven no longer had to bottle up her emotions any more. Of course just because that roadblock had been removed didn't mean that Raven had to change. The Matriarch surveyed her sleeping son-in-law. Other than his being green, she had to admit that Raven was right, the boy was rather handsome.

Arella turned back to her daughter and was greeted by two very serious looking amethyst orbs.

"Good morning mother." She spoke in here monotone. "To what do I own the honor? Did you come to watch me make love with my husband?"

"Raven!" Arella flinched. "Don't be cheeky girl!"

"So why are you here?"

Arella hesitated.

"There is something I need to speak with you about." Arella said as she glanced at the changeling. "In private."

"Fine, just let me get dressed."

"You can come in your pajamas; we'll just step into your office."

"I'm naked." Raven replied flatly.

"Then get dressed, I'll be waiting in your office." Arella replied as she stared disapprovingly at her daughter.

"What?" Raven challenged her mother.

"Must you be so … so Earthlike? You're an Azarathian Raven; you need to act like one."

Raven stared coldly at her mother.

"Don't judge me mother. I love Gar and what we do together is none of your business, or anyone else's on Azarath for that matter. I'm not doing anything dishonorable or immoral and if you think that I am, well, that's your problem."

"I'm sorry." Arella apologized weakly. "I'll be in your office."

The violet haired matriarch stepped into Raven's office, if it could be called that as she had yet to use it as such, and sat down on a small couch. Raven appeared, attired in her black leotard and blue cape, a mere minute later.

"What is it mother? I can sense the dread in you."

Arella stood up before her daughter. She towered above Raven, her tall, slender athletic build contrasted with Raven's shorter and more voluptuous form.

"I wish you would wear the new clothes that were made for you. You're married and you're my heir …"

"I refuse to dress like a Matriarch."

"But you are one."

"Irrelevant." Raven replied in her monotone. "But that's not why you brought me here."

Arella turned away and gazed out the window at the cities unique skyline. She could see the lone access road that led to the city. It was usually bustling with traffic but was now eerily empty. The city was in lockdown for the celebration, a precaution the Council of Matriarchs had chosen to keep tabs on the populace during the upcoming festival.

"The House of Roth is insolvent Raven."

Raven's eyes popped open upon hearing the revelation.

"What did you say?"

"Didn't you hear me? Insolvent! Broke! Bankrupt! We're keeping the doors open only because of lines of credit from the other houses."

Raven shook her head in disbelief.

"How did this happen?"

Arella sighed.

"Bad decisions and bad luck. If we can't turn things around soon the firm's assets will be seized and liquidated by the other houses."

"How soon?"

"By the end of the month."

"The end of the month? That's absurd! How could you possibly turn things around in a month?"

"By myself, it's impossible. But if you help me it can be done."

Raven looked confused.

"How could I possibly …"

Raven stopped midsentence as it finally sank in.

"No! Absolutely not!"

"But Raven, it's the only way to save the House of Roth."

Raven's eyes were glowing red and had split into two pairs. Arella recoiled at the sight, remembering the last time she had seen such eyes, eyes that belonged to a man she thought was her lover, her fiancé but who was anything but that.

"I don't care!" Raven roared in a guttural voice. "I don't care what happens to the House of Roth. I won't take more husbands just to protect your ego mother. I gave Gar my word and I won't break it! Not for you, not for anyone!"

Arella shook her head.

"This isn't about me Raven. If the House of Roth is liquidated over a hundred thousand people will lose their employment. Do you have any idea what that will do to the local economy?"

Raven bared her teeth, exposing her now serrated fangs to her mother.

"I'm sick and tired of hearing how the rich and powerful screw things up while others have to suffer the consequences. I have my own problems back at home; I don't need to add your problems to them." Raven shouted.

By this point the expression on Arella's face was of pleading.

"Raven, you don't have to consummate with the boys, just marry them. If you do the other Matriarchs will forgive us all our debts."

Raven could no longer contain her exasperation.

"Why me! Why are Xanathia, Mayra and the others so Trigon bent on having me marry their stupid and useless sons? If they're so worried about the economy why don't they just bail you out and be done with it?" She shouted.

Arella sighed.

"They need you Raven."

"They need me? Why in Azar's name do they need me? They have all the money and power! Azarath is plutocracy! What more could they possibly want?"

Arella gathered herself and calmed down before replying.

"Things aren't as they seem Raven. The Council of Matriarchs is walking on thin ice, very thin ice. There is a powerful movement afoot in Azarath to strip the Council of its powers and to … tax it."

"And why is this my problem?"

"Raven, you're the closest thing to Royalty that we have in Azarath. Remember when I told you that you had your people's love? Well it's true Raven, they adore you …"

Raven became indignant.

"AND YOU WANT TO USE ME TO JUSTIFY THE COUNCIL? You want me to prop up a greedy, corrupt and immoral inner circle of women who want to tighten the noose of oppression around my people?"

"Azarath needs the Matriarchs Raven; it can't survive without them…"

"SHUT UP! SHUT THE TRIGON UP!"

Raven's tirade was interrupted by Beast Boy, who wearing only a bathrobe had stumbled into the office.

"Rae, what's the matter? What's going on here? Why are you shouting?"

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

The thumping sound of Latin American pop music could be heard almost a block away from the night club. It was well past 2 AM when a man wearing a Salvadoran soccer jersey emerged from the disco with a shapely young woman under his arm. Both had clearly had too much to drink as they headed for the limousine that awaited them. As the driver opened the door to the car the man groped his companion and she giggled in response.

With no warning the man was seized by an orange and purple flash and was whisked away from the scene as he became airborne. He reached for the pistol he always kept tucked inside his waist but an orange hand snatched it away from him and crushed it like was made of Styrofoam. He looked into his abductors face and saw her green glowing eyes.

"W-who are you?" He stammered.

"I am your worst nightmare, Javier Solana."

Starfire flew to the top floor of an unfinished and for the moment abandoned skyscraper, its bare steel skeleton stood in naked witness of the financial crisis that gripped the city. As she reached her destination on the 80th floor of the building Javier Solana saw that Robin was waiting for him. What happened next was not what he was expecting. Starfire threw him into the void and he screamed as he began to fall, knowing that 1000 feet separated him from the street below. He then heard what sounded like a gunshot and felt a line wrap itself around his right leg. As it tightened the line dug deep, first cutting through his trousers and then through his own flesh. He yelped in pain but also stopped falling. He swung towards the building in the darkness and braced himself for an impact, which never happened as Starfire caught up with him and stopped his momentum.

Upon opening his eyes the upside down gang banger found himself face to face with the Boy Wonder.

"Hello Javier, a nice night to take a fall, wouldn't you say?"

"What do you want?" His voice trembled as he replied.

"I want you to tell me where the Herald's parents are being kept."

Javier Solana shook his head.

"I can't tell you. If I do, La Jefa would kill me."

"If you don't tell me, I'll kill you." Robin replied in an ice cold monotone.

"You're bluffing! You guys don't kill."

Robin scowled at the thug.

"Your people almost succeeded in murdering Raven and now your 'Jefa', Terra Markov, has gone after her to complete the task."

Javier looked stunned. How did he know?

"Listen gang banger, no one messes with my family! If you won't tell me where the Herald's parents are I'll cut you loose and find someone else who will talk. But I'll make sure to show them a picture of the splat you'll make down below." Robin bluffed.

Javier hesitated.

"We're wasting our time with him Star." Robin added as he snapped open a bird-a-rang, ready to cut the line.

"No, wait, I'll talk!"

"Smart man. You get to live."

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx


	12. The Celebration Begins

Ok, here are standard disclaimers. I do not own, nor claim to own any rights to the Teen Titans, or any other borrowed characters. I also make no claims towards any original characters I invent for this story.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

"Rae, what's the matter? What's going on here? Why are you shouting?"

"You go back to your room boy!" Arella thundered. "This doesn't concern you."

"It most certainly does concern him!" Raven snarled back.

"Raven, will you please get it through your thick skull, we are not on Earth!"

"I'm not going anywhere!" Beast Boy roared.

The matriarch was clearly shocked by the changeling's defiant outburst. She turned towards him and gave him an icy glare that lowered the temperature in the room. Beast Boy had always believed that Raven inherited her intimidating glare from her father, but he now understood the truth: it was the 'Roth Glare'. Unfortunately for Arella the green Titan had become accustomed to Raven's death glares over the years, so her own attempt to intimidate him fell flat. Ignoring his mother–in-law he approached his wife.

"Why are you fighting with your mother?"

Raven bit her lip, feeling an unpleasant lump form in the pit of her stomach.

"The House of Roth is bankrupt Gar."

"What do you mean she's bankrupt? I thought she was a zillionaire."

Raven crossed her arms and shook her head.

"We have more money than she does." She reported in her deadpan monotone.

"OK, I guess that's bad news. But why are you yelling at her Rae? Did she ask if she could come back with us to the Tower?"

"Don't be insolent boy! I'm still a Matriarch."

Again, he ignored his mother-in-law and focused his attention on Raven.

Raven sighed before replying.

"She wants me to save to save the House of Roth."

"And how are we supposed to do that? We barely have $100,000 between the two of us. Something tells me that she's gonna need a lot more mpney than that."

Arella interrupted their conversation.

"Raven is going to marry into three other houses, which in turn will bail us out."

The demoness gave her a 4 eyed glare.

"I won't do that! Never."

Arella glared back at her daughter.

"Then you can tell Xanathia why you're shirking you Matriarchal duties Raven. You'll be sitting next to her during the parade this afternoon. And don't say you won't attend, the whole city is doing this in your honor as a demonstration of their gratitude to you for saving the city."

Raven felt a swell of anger and fury fill her chest.

"All you've done since I returned is manipulate me. You forced us to marry so you wouldn't lose your place on the council and now you're at it again. I don't believe in polygamy mother, and I won't marry any of those creeps to save your stupid business!"

Arella gave Raven a very cross look.

"A business? Is that what you think the House of Roth is? A business? My dear, naïve child, the House of Roth is much more than a business. It's a Matriarchate, the very cornerstone of Azarathian society and culture. It can't be allowed to fail; if we fall it could bring down the whole system."

"Sounds like a good start to me." Beast Boy grumbled.

"Shut up you stupid boy!"

At that moment something snapped in Raven. Later that day when she reviewed what had happened she couldn't determine if it had been her mother's single minded attempts to manipulate her or if she had had enough of her mother showing disrespect to her husband. Raising her hand she engulfed her mother with her dark energy and tossed her aside.

"Let's go Gar, there's nothing left to discuss here." Raven announced as she took his hand and led him back to their bedroom. "Let's go before I hurt her."

"You will attend the celebration Raven!" Arella shouted at her, after getting back up.

Raven turned around and replied in the driest monotone she could muster.

"We'll be there mother. We won't disappoint the people of Azarath."

"We?" Arella howled.

"Yes, 'we'. Gar risked his life to defeat Trigon. He deserves this city's thanks as much as anyone else."

"But he's a man Raven! What am I supposed to do about that?"

"Deal with it!" Raven snapped at her as she closed the door behind her.

Arella collapsed into a well padded wingback chair, cradling her head in her hands.

_What am I going to do with her?_

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

The sun was setting and it cast an orange glow over the large building that had until recently housed the Fluffy Loaf Bakery, which was yet another of the corporate carcasses that littered the landscape of Jump City's industrial district, having fallen to the way of bankruptcy just a few month before. It was a large, grimy single story structure and covered most of the city block.

This was the address that Javier Solana had given Robin as to where The Herald's parents were being held. In a twist of fate, the bakery was across the street from the warehouse that Bruce Wayne had gifted to the Titans and unlike that building the old bakery wasn't secure at all. Entry would be easy as dozens of large windows had already been smashed by vandals. Robin surveyed the building carefully and quickly concluded that it was chosen as a hideout for its vastness and anonymity. The Boy Wonder peered through a pair of tiny binoculars her produced from his utility belt and peered into the building. His first observation was that all of the baking equipment was gone: giant mixers, ovens, conveyor belts, packaging systems, the works. The building was empty.

"That's a large building with big open spaces, where would you keep them?" Cyborg asked.

Robin tucked his binoculars away and retrieved one of his grappling hooks.

"In an inside office, one without windows to the exterior. A foreman's office."

Cyborg and Starfire nodded their agreement.

"We'll have to be quick and catch them by surprise." He said as he fired his grappling hook. "Titans go!"

Robin leaped off the taller building they were standing on and gracefully swung across the street, sailing through a broken window, carefully avoiding the razor sharp shards that remained. Starfire grabbled Cyborg's hands and they flew through another window, entering the cavernous building.

The three Titans were greeted by a barrage of gunfire. Robin landed on the floor, rolling quickly to dodge the deadly hail of bullets until he was able to take refuge behind a concrete pillar, hearing the bullets ricochet off the other side of the column. Starfire released Cyborg who began to fire his sonic cannon as he ran for cover, taking out a few gunmen in the process. Starfire did the same with her starbolts while Robin launched a few of his freezing disks.

As the three remained hidden behind columns the remaining gunfire which was much less than before as most of the gunmen had been incapacitated, suddenly ceased. After a pregnant pause a lone voice was heard from the direction of an array of indoor offices.

"We have hostages. If you don't leave, we'll kill them!"

"If you do that you'll get the electric chair." Robin howled back. "Surrender peacefully and we'll put in a good word at your trial!" Robin hollered from behind his pillar.

Terra's remaining henchmen responded quickly to Robin's offer with machine gun fire.

"I'll take that as a 'no'." Cyborg yelled at Robin.

"They always choose the hard way." Starfire added. "Why are humans so illogical?"

"That's the question I keep asking myself." Robin replied as he pulled 4 disks from his utility belt. "Star, Cy, cover me!"

Robin bolted from the shield that the pillar offered him as Starfire threw a barrage of star bolts towards the row of offices, while Cyborg fired his sonic cannon. This did not deter the gunman from firing at Robin, but their aim was compromised and they missed him by a wide margin. Robin was also able to see which office they were holed up in, and threw his 4 disks at them. The spinning weapons hit their mark and crashed through the glass windows, tearing through the venetian blinds that were shut. A hissing sound was then heard and a green gas could be seen leaking out of the office. The sound of bodies thudding on the floor was heard next. Robin fired his grappling hook and swung up to the office.

There were 4 gunmen, lying on the floor unconscious. In the rear of the room was a middle aged black couple, tied to chairs and slumped over, unconscious. Robin administered an antidote to the sleeping gas to them as his teammates entered the room.

The couple slowly regained consciousness. The woman became lucid first, followed by her husband. She groggily raised her head and looked surprised when she saw Robin.

"You're the Teen Titans." She remarked, looking as if she still didn't believe they had been rescued.

"And you are The Herald's parents. Do not worry, for you are safe now." Starfire reassured them.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Raven stared from her seat in the Roth flying limousine as it approached the VIP landing area next to the central grandstand that had been set up for the parade. Azarath wasn't a huge metropolis, Raven knew that just one million people lived in the floating city and it seemed that most of them had come out for the celebration. The central grand stand was flanked by several smaller ones as well as others that had been set up across from the central grandstand on the city's main boulevard, and it reminded her of the grandstands set up for the Tournament of Roses parade back on earth.

"Quite a turnout Raven, I've never seen anything like this before. You are the city's most favored daughter." Arella remarked as she looked out the window.

"Gar deserves some of the credit, he helped defeat Trigon."

"Perhaps, but to your adoring masses he is nothing but your first." Arella replied smugly.

"What about the monos?" Beast Boy asked. "What do they think?"

"Only the unimportant women are monos. They are inferior and don't deserve more than one husband."

"You mean they aren't rich, like you used to be before you met … him." Raven snapped at her mother.

"He is your father Raven." Arella replied in her own monotone.

"You chose him, I didn't." Raven snarled. "I know how you became rich mother; he gave it all to you, in exchange for bearing me."

Arella looked coldly at her daughter.

"Had I not done it, someone else would have. And it worked out for the best."

"It did?" Raven sneered. "It seems to me that once again you're coming hat in hand to a demon, asking for help."

"It's not just me you're helping Raven. It's every employee of the House of Roth, and in the end it will be yourself you are helping."

"I'm not a Matriarch mother."

"Yes you are. Even if you refuse to wear white and you drag your first with you to places he shouldn't go."

"Once the lockdown is over we're going home Arella." Beast Boy interrupted. "Raven and I are going home, back to Earth once this is over."

Arella glared at the changeling.

"You will learn where your place is, young man. You are Raven's property and consequently mine as well. Don't you ever forget that!"

"Which is why we are leaving." Raven added. "I don't know what's going on here on Azarath, but things are spiraling out of control. Matriarchs don't go bankrupt; the system is rigged to keep that from happening. Hasn't it occurred to you mother that maybe this wasn't an accident, that your ruin was planned, conspired even?"

The limo was inching forward to the drop off point, in a long line of Matriarchal vehicles.

"What are you talking about Raven?" Beast Boy asked.

"Think about it Gar. I return home and they throw a huge party for me. I was shunned as a child and had to live in the monastery with the monks. My heritage isn't as big a secret as mother makes it out to be. Yet now they love me."

She pointed out of the car's window at the amassed throngs.

"They might not know that Trigon was my father, but they do know that I'm different, that I'm not one of them. But now I'm being played up as a hero and I know this wasn't spontaneous. This was planned by the Matriarchs, they're turning me into an idol, and you want to know why? So they can marry their spoiled brat sons off to me…"

"Raven, you won't even have to consummate with them …"

"I'm not done Mother. They want to use me to legitimize the backward Matriarchal system in place in Azarath!"

Arella shook her head as a porter opened the limo's door.

"You've been living on Earth far too long Raven."

"And you've been a Matriarch too long!" Raven snarled back as the door swung fully open.

Arella immediately switched to her "public" face and emerged from the limo, beaming brightly as she waved to the crowd. Photographers snapped pictures of the elegantly dressed Matriarch, whose dress was whiter than the purest snow.

Raven and Beast Boy emerged next, holding hands, which drew the crowd's attention and the flashes flickered like a strobe light.

"Raven! Why are you not dressed in white?" A reporter shouted.

"Is it true that you're a mono?" A second reporter asked.

Unlike her mother, Raven was wearing her blank "poker face". She turned to face her mate.

"Kiss me Gar, kiss me like you never have before."

Beast Boy felt a little shy in front of the crowd of reporters and other Matriarchs who had stopped to watch them. The changeling did not disappoint his wife however, as they melted into each other with a very less than chaste kiss. The crowd's reaction was mixed. Some booed, but many cheered as well.

"I'll take that as a 'yes'." The second reporter replied after she snapped several pictures of the smooching couple, as did every other reporter present.

Arella was still blushing from the embarrassment when the Chromatically Challenged Couple™ finally separated as they both needed to breathe. She said nothing to them, but her displeasure was self evident as they walked to the luxury box in the grand stand, where Xanathia was waiting for them, along with two other Matriachs. Raven recognized Mayra, recalling that she was Horeb's mother. Raven had played with Horeb when they were small children. The main memory she had was that he was mama's boy and a crybaby.

_Good luck marrying off that loser._

"Raven, I see you brought your first with you. How … quaint. You remember Horeb, don't you? He's Mayra's youngest son." Xanathia greeted her, shaking Raven's hand with her own gnarled and bony hand."

"How could I forget him? The last time played together as children he called me a gray witch and I beat him up. Is that why he didn't come?"

Mayra chuckled nervously.

"He couldn't sleep through the night for a year after that, he kept having nightmares about dark tentacles."

"He's every woman's dreamboat." Raven added sarcastically.

"I think it's time you addressed the city Raven." Arella interrupted. "They're dying to hear from you."

Raven sighed, knowing she was right and stepped up to a microphone that had been set up. She tapped on it and found that was indeed 'alive'. She cleared her throat.

"Dear citizens of Azarath, thank you for taking the time to do this for me. I feel honored to be recognized by you, especially in light of my prolonged absence. I am very happy that I was able to save both Azarath and Earth from Trigon the Terrible, a feat I accomplished with help from 3 friends and from my husband, Garfield Logan."

Raven gestured to Beast Boy, who stepped up next to her. A few boos where heard in the crowd, but they were mostly drowned out by the cheers.

"Thank you friends. Before we begin this celebration there's something I want to share with you …"

Before Raven could continue several loud explosions were heard under the grandstand, followed by a staccato of popping sounds. The entire grand stand shuddered and began to collapse along its edges, while dozens of people, lesser dignitaries, fell to the ground below.

Raven and Beast Boy went automatically in super hero mode, rescuing people who were about to fall. They had separated, Beast Boy going to the left of the grand stand while Raven went to the right. Meanwhile those in the middle stampeded to the bottom trampling each other on the way down.

Raven had finished evacuating her section when she heard a familiar beeping sound, which was beeping faster and faster. She knew that sound and remembered who it was associated with: Slade.

Much to her horror the sound was coming from where Beast Boy was standing. He too had heard it.

"Run Rae!" He shouted.

Raven reached out with her dark shield to him but was too late. The Slade bomb exploded and the section where Beast Boy was standing was engulfed in flames before it suddenly collapsed.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Cliffhanger! (You wanted one, admit it!)

And once again, that time honored tradition, the mail bag!

**Master Doc** - "Awesome! I thought I was done with fanfics but when I saw this was updated I nearly choked. I missed this story! Thanks for bringing it back! But I have to ask...whatever happened to Ganguro and are you going to be writing Young Justice fanfics?"

_I'll have to watch a few seasons of Young Justice to see where it goes and let them develop the characters some more. Will they add more characters (from the Titans perhaps?)_

**crazy-apple94** - "this story is great^_^ i like terra in this one too since she's so obsessed with BB, i can't wait for the cat fight. also that interrogation by robin was pretty believable i almost thought he'd have his bluff called"

_I was inspired by an episode of Batman the Animated series. There was an episode where the Dark Knight and Robin have a bad guy hanging from a thread. He talked!_

**The Cretan** - "If it's alright with you I'm going to read back over this story because I'm kinda lost. Sorry but I've been reading a ton of stories the past couple of hours and trying to get caught up on my favorites. I will read this over though and give proper review and praise when I can. Why are there so many BBRae stories? One can't possibly read them all can they? Again, I apologize. I remain a faithful reader of yours. The Cretan"

_No problem! I think there are more BB /Rae because their relationship isn't saccharine like Rob/Star._

**titanfan45** - "Glad you've decided to continue with this story. I am halfway through rereading the original "Tough Times" and have to say that as much as I like the first version, this current version is fantastic. Raven definitely isn't going to be one to be trifled with by the Matriarchs and I'll bet it won't take long for them to realize that."

_The original story was too busy. I hope the plot on this one is better._

**FelynxTiger** - "i cant log in because it says that i already review this chapter , however i can log off to review again

ha!

AW YEAH TITANS !

im glad u decided to take the story once again

looks like all those years spended with batman were no waste for Robin , i wonder how they would find Terra and stop her , now thats an other problem they have to deal

and with Raven this are the same huh her dilema is pretty much hard to decide!

See you next chapter(im happy to say that once again in this story) "

_Robin/Nightwing wants to be his own man, but he really can't escape from his past with Batman. I thought that it was funny how Batman is never mentioned by name in the show (they didn't have his character licensed so they couldn't). I especially liked how the guy that Robin busts in "Titans Go" is about to say 'Batman' when Robin interrupts him. Very clever._

**Hairul The Nightrage Beast** - "Haha Arella deserve a well deserved Hair Dryer treatment from raven esp with the Matriarchs cocking up the populace of Azarath. I think she'll be in a ranting rampage on those old hags meh."

_The Matriarchs are losing their grip on Azarath. We'll see what happens._

**AkumaKami64** - "Glad to see your back on this and THIS was what I had been waiting for- Raven going four-eyed on Arella. Good thing that Robin figured out what Terra is up to."

_Poor Arella, Raven is still "Daddy's little girl"!_


	13. Welcome to Azarath

Ok, here are standard disclaimers. I do not own, nor claim to own any rights to the Teen Titans, or any other borrowed characters. I also make no claims towards any original characters I invent for this story.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Raven stared in horror as Beast Boy vanished into the fiery inferno. Snapping out of her surprise she charged towards where he was last standing and was repelled by the searing heat. Raising her dark shields she pressed forward as loud popping sounds continued to snap under the grandstand, which shuddered as people continued to flee from the compromised structure. Sirens blared in the distance and Raven was able to see fire engines flying towards the scene of the explosion, still too distant to help. As she reached the center of the grandstand she was finally able to see how big the collapsed section actually was, the chasm was almost 20 meters wide. Peering down into the fiery pit she was unable to discern anything beyond a reproduction of Hell on Azarath. As she stared into the infernal maw the entire grandstand shook violently and collapsed under her. She instinctively raised a protective bubble around herself and levitated as the floor under her vanished as it fell into the flames below.

"GAAARFIEEEELD!" She screamed at the top of her lungs, her voice drowned out by the roaring inferno around her which licked her spherical shield with its hungry flames.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Chaos ruled on the street in front of the grandstand as civilians ran for their lives, running in any direction that would take them away from the furnace that had once been a grandstand.

In the middle of the street a single figure stood, immobile as if in shock. Her hair was green and she had blue eyes, which were consumed in terror and horror. This wasn't supposed to have happened; he wasn't supposed to even be there, that's what everyone she had asked had told her yesterday, that only Matriarchs would be in VIP box, including Raven.

She had slipped under the grandstand the night before, hovering on one of her ubiquitous rocks, gliding past the old night watchwoman who had been drinking the bottle of Azarathian rum Terra had left in her guard booth earlier. It had been easy to setup the bombs and the only glitch was that the remote detonators wouldn't work as there was some sort of radio jamming mechanism in place. Thinking quickly, as time wasn't on her side, she set a timer to detonate 5 minutes after the celebration was scheduled to begin, but in her hurry she had unintentionally set one to explode after only 4 minutes. She had planned on double checking the settings, but was interrupted by the semi drunken security guard who was making her rounds in spite of her inebriated state, leaving Terra no choice but to retreat as any disturbance would attract more guards who would no doubt find her Slade bombs which waited like a predator to make their kill, with their signature "S" logos dark.

When she had seen Beast Boy emerge from the limo with Raven she panicked. She tried to cross the street but was pushed back by the security ring that surrounded the main grand stand. The truth was she didn't know what to do. She considered summoning a boulder from the ground and flyi to Beast Boy, but she knew that Raven would her and would immediately engage her and they would all be consumed by the blast. Warning them wouldn't help, they would never believe her.

Finally she decided to summon a boulder and fly to them, but she had wasted too much time vacillating and second guessing herself as the first bomb exploded just as she became airborne. She too had watched in horror as Beast Boy was unable to escape from the fiery deathtrap he had fallen into. Recovering from her shock she steered her flying rock into the inferno.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Raven's heart sank as she descended into the white hot furnace; the metal girders that supported the grandstand had melted from the intense heat. She felt a lump form in her throat as the grim reality sank in. There was no way he could have survived this. She began to weep as the fire engines arrived and began to spray their retardant foam, putting out the fire. Within a few minutes it was over and though she was sill trembling from her loss she stoically began to search for his body amid the ruins of the grandstand.

Using her dark energy she began to remove the debris that now formed a twisted, macabre patchwork of destruction and death. She continued methodically when she sensed that someone was approaching. Without stopping her task she turned around and saw a girl with green hair who had a horrified look on her face.

"This place isn't safe for civilians Miss, you need to leave." Raven croaked.

"Have you found BB yet?" The girl whimpered in a familiar voice.

Raven did a double take at the girl, her own face a mosaic of disbelief and disgust. It took a moment to finally recognized her, but there was no doubt about it, it was her. Raven's expression changed as a sense of nauseous fury consumed her.

"You bitch! You did this! You killed my Garfield!" Raven shrieked in a guttural voice, her eyes now 4 and glowing a deep crimson red. Terra saw red tears streaming down Raven's face, tears of blood.

"I, I didn't mean to." Terra stammered as she fell to her knees and began to wail. "Oh my God, what have I done?"

"I warned you once that if you hurt him it would be the last thing you ever did." Raven roared as the dark tentacles made their appearance. "This is the end Terra!"

The Geomancer bowed her head, ready to accept whatever fate Raven had in store for her as she had nothing left to live for and was consumed with an agonizing sense of guilt and regret. Her only hope was that her end would be swift and painless, but judging from the look on Raven's now fully demonic face she knew it would be neither. She did not flinch, she was ready to accept the punishment for her colossal mistake.

Before Raven could deliver her fatal blow a pile of debris began to shake, its detritus falling to the side as it appeared to come to life. Raven and Terra stared mesmerized as the mound of debris grew taller before it fell to the sides, revealing a green and heavily armored ankylosaurus which was visibly burned and staggered towards Raven as if in a daze and collapsed after taking several steps.

"Garfield!" Raven cried out as she ran to his side, followed closely by Terra. "Gar, can you hear me?"

"Is he OK Raven?"

"Barely, no thanks to you." Raven snarled at Terra. "Gar, forgive me for what I'm about to do, but it's easier to heal you when you're in your human form."

Using the unspoken black magic spell that Malchior had taught her years before she forced Beast Boy back into his default human form. She grimaced at the sight before her as his costume was nearly completely destroyed and he was covered in third degree burns. She immediately went to work, covering him in her healing blue light. Terra watched in quiet reverance as the changeling's burns were reduced from third degree open wounds to second degree blisters and finally to first degree burns. Raven paused, clearly exhausted from her effort.

"Is he OK Raven?"

The sorceress nodded.

Terra grinned wickedly.

"Then let's resolve this now, once and for all!"

"There's nothing to resolve Terra." Raven replied in her monotone.

"Oh I disagree, witch. We both want him, and I'll fight you for him."

Raven picked her husband up bridal style, in a demonstration of the strength of her partially demonic physiology.

"He needs to be taken to a hospital, traitor. But get this through your thick skull: he's mine. He's my lover, my mate, my man, my husband. But don't you worry, after he's recovered and safe I'm gonna find you and give you what you've had coming for a long time."

"Bring it on bitch." Terra replied coldly. "I'm looking forward to it."

"You'll be sorry you ever came to Azarath Terra, I promise that." Raven snarled as she phased into the ground.

Terra heard firefighters approaching. It was time to leave and head back to her hideout.

She would be ready for Raven. She had beaten her before and she was ready to do it again.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

"So that's Azarath." Cyborg commented in an amazed voice. "It's just floating … in the air … like a cloud."

The three Titans approached the far edge of the bridge, which was barricaded, and guarded by a lone officer, who paced nervously as they approached her, not taking her eyes off of the three unusual looking strangers. The three aliens stopped before her.

"We need to enter Azarath" Robin announced.

The guard ignored the Boy Wonder and instead addressed the Tamaranian.

"I'm sorry, but the city is under lock down. No one can enter at this time."

"What happened, why is the city locked down?" Cyborg asked him. The border guard glared at the tin man. She had heard about alien worlds, were men were considered to be the equals of women. Of course it was one thing to read about such things in a textbook at school, and quite another to experience it in the flesh. Once again she addressed Starfire.

"The reason for the lock down is not your concern. What business do you have in Azarath, alien?"

Starfire returned the woman's glare. While Raven had never actually taught her, over the years by simply observing she had learned the fine art of facial intimidation from her gray teammate.

"Our business is to find our friend Raven. We have learned that an assassin is seeking her."

"You mean Raven Roth, the Trigon slayer?"

"The one and the same." Robin replied.

The guard harrumphed at him.

"I don't know what the rules are like where you come from male, but here in Azarath men only speak after they have been spoken to first. As for you miss, you are too late, Mistress Raven has been attacked already."

The three Titans exchanged worried glances with each other, which did not go unnoticed by the border guards.

"Is Raven unharmed?" Starfire asked.

"She is, but her husband is in the hospital."

"Her husband?" Robin blurted out. "Since when does Raven have a husband?"

The border guard let the male outburst slide.

"Of course, you wouldn't know. You're Earthlings, aren't you?"

"I am a Tamaranian." Starfire corrected her. "And we are Raven's friends and teammates from Earth. But please tell me, who is she married to? It cannot be possible."

The border guard sighed.

"She married that uppity green boy she brought with her from Earth." She informed them as she shook her head in clear disapproval. "She's got the mono movement all fired up."

"Is our friend Beast Boy OK, you said he was in the hospital." Starfire continued.

"I really don't know. I'm sorry."

"Please, you must grant us access to Azarath, we must be allowed to assist our friends."

The guard shook her head.

"I'm sorry, I don't have that authority."

"Then you must contact someone who does."

The border guard eyed them cautiously.

"Just a moment." She replied as she stepped up to her border station console. She picked up the handset.

"Get me the hospital."

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Raven watched as Beast Boy was lowered into a tub of pink fluid, until he was completely submerged. He had a small breathing apparatus on his face and his expression was blank. Raven was still covered in ashes, her cheeks were smudged with soot. Three doctors worked quietly as they monitored several sensors on a console. Raven knew that it was going to be long; her only consolation was that he was in no real danger at the moment.

Her thoughts returned to Terra and Raven could literally feel Rage thrashing at her chains in the dark pit she occupied in Raven's psyche.

_Let's kill her, let's go find the traitor and kill her right now!_

Raven silenced the voice in her head, and not because she disagreed with Rage, but because she knew that this would have to be carefully planned. She remembered all too well how Terra had used her anger as a weapon against her the last time they fought one on one and that Terra had defeated and almost killed her that time.

It would not happen again, not if she could help it.

"Excuse me Mistress; there is a call for you." A nurse handed a datapad to Raven.

Raven gasped as she saw her 3 friends on the screen, standing next to the border guard.

"Forgive me Mistress; but these foreigners claim to be your friends."

"They are. Please have them brought to the hospital."

"We are still in lock down Mistress …"

"Override, on my authority as the Matriarch heiress of the House of Roth."

"Are you sure Mistress? The council might not approve…"

"Half the council is dead! Bring them here, immediately!" Raven barked at the woman.

"Right away mistress, I'll send them over in a police car!"

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

The three Titans were led into the therapy room where Beast Boy remained suspended in the healing tank, still unconscious. Raven turned to face them; her disheveled appearance did not go unnoticed by her teammates. Starfire ran to her and wrapped her in a pincer like hug.

"Oh Raven! Are you unharmed?"

"I'm fine Starfire. My cape is burned and ruined that's the extent of the damage I suffered."

"What happened to Beast Boy? Did Terra do this to him?"

Raven nodded.

"She set up some bombs. They were meant for me, but he got the worst of it. He suffered burns all over his body."

As Raven explained the physicians removed Beast Boy from the tank.

"Mistress, your husband has finished his therapy. His burns have been completely healed; mostly thanks to the early treatment you gave him, had it not been for that he would have without a doubt perished. He will awake in a few minutes." The head doctor informed her.

"Thank you doctor." Raven replied. As she turned back at her friends she saw the incredulous looks on their faces. After a pregnant pause Robin spoke up.

"We thought the border guard was mistaken …"

"No, she wasn't, it's true."

"You and BB … are married?" Cyborg asked. "No freaking way…"

"I can explain." Raven replied.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

BB is fine, so stop worrying

Now to where did Terra run off?

**Jack b** - "Hurray for the More tougth times, ive allways liked your use of 4 red eyed raven, some fanfics say that the eyes are trigons, and they only appear on raven because of him, but I like the idea of raven being more accepting of her demon half. Anyway keep up the goodwork!"

_Sometimes the only way to move forward is by coming to terms with who we are._

**titanfan45** - "Great chapter as always. I really enjoyed seeing how Raven kept putting Arella in her place. I especially enjoyed Arella's failure to intimidate Beast Boy."

_I'm really making Arella into an unlikeable character, someone who was corrupted by power and wealth._

**Hairul The Nightrage Beast** - "Oh s**t, hopefully Gar doesn't lose a limb or limbs, shit man the Titans have the worse records for KIA'd Members in the comics."

_Actually, I think Terra is in greater danger of having her head ripped off now._

**Author Penholder** - "dude, don't just leave me hanging like that! Please update ASAP."

_Done!_

**wolfenstien** - "Great chapters dude, I sure hope Garfield is gonna be okay.. Can't wait till Raven and Terra have the showdown over Gar..."

_It's coming! Of course Raven now has backup!_

**FelynxTiger** - "oh noeees cliffhanger T.T

the confrontation between Raven and Aurella was most amuzing that mother/daughter fight is just what it adds more drama to the story

I wonder what would Robin and the other do now ,

ummm seeunextch "

_Mothers and daughters, even when they love each other, don't always see eye to eye. Plus it doesn't help that Arella is about to lose everything._

**GreenRock** - "Yeah, you're right. Nothing I love more than a juicy, 100% full-fat cliffhanger.

I've said it before, the reimagined version of the original is certainly looking a lot better and is more enjoyable to read. There is more action in the early chapters as well as signs of a more developed plot. It feels as though that this will be a great story and shows promise that it won't disappoint the massses.

Keep on rockin'."

_Thanks, there are a few surprises left in the wings._


	14. Raven explains

Ok, here are standard disclaimers. I do not own, nor claim to own any rights to the Teen Titans, or any other borrowed characters. I also make no claims towards any original characters I invent for this story.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

"You and BB … are married?" Cyborg asked. "No freaking way…"

"I can explain." Raven stammered in reply as she raised her hood. She stared at the floor for a moment before looking back up at her friends, who still looked surprised.

"Well?" Robin asked.

"It's a long story." She replied apologetically.

"We have the time." Starfire replied.

"Oh well, I suppose we were going to have to tell you sooner or later … where do I even begin?"

"How about at the beginning … that usually works best." Cyborg replied.

Raven glared at him and then checked on Beast Boy, who continued in his sedated slumber.

"My mother is a member of an elite group in Azarath called the 'Council of Matriarchs' which is one of the three branches of government here. Positions on the council are inherited. Since I am now legally an adult I have become my mother's legal heiress, but there was a catch."

"You have to be married to be an heiress." Robin interrupted.

"That's correct, and my mother has the legal right to force me to marry someone of her choice if I could not produce a groom of my own."

"Could she really force you to marry, Raven?" Cyborg asked.

"Yes, she could. There is powerful magic behind the heiress clause. I wouldn't have been able to resist it."

"So you chose to marry Beast Boy to get around that. Well, I can see the logic in that. Once we get home we can have a court annul your marriage and everything will be back to normal." Robin added.

Cyborg guffawed.

"Makes sense to me, after all this was just a fake marriage to get around your mom." The tin man commented.

Raven blushed slightly.

"Actually, it's not a sham marriage."

Cyborg did a double take on his gray friend, Robin's jaw dropped while Starfire began to do aerial pirouettes while squealing with glee. Cyborg spoke first

"No way … does that mean that … did you guys really … you did the nasty?"

Starfire looked perplexed.

"I do not understand Cyborg's remark, Raven. You are newlyweds and you have been unpleasant with each other?"

"Trust me Star; there was nothing 'unpleasant' involved." Cyborg muttered under his breath.

Robin cleared his throat with sharp cough.

"What Cyborg is asking is if they actually consummated their marriage." Robin clarified.

"Ooooh! The understanding is now clear!" She added before turning to Raven.

"So is it true Raven that you and Beast Boy have engaged in carnal relations?"

Even with her hood up it was easy to see Raven's crimson red blush.

"It's none of your business!" She snapped at the Tamaranian before turning away.

"Oh you so did!" Cyborg teased the sorceress. "So how many times did the grass stain say 'thank you'?"

"SHUT UP! JUST SHUT UP!" Raven screamed as something could be heard exploding in the next room.

"Whoa Raven, relax, I was just teasin' ya."

"Don't! Please don't. Today's been hard enough. We've been married just two days and Gar almost died today."

Starfire walked up to Raven and gave her a gentle hug. She stiffened at first as she was still mildly uncomfortable with physical contact with anyone except for her husband.

"I bring you the apologies for the unkind and taunting remarks made by Cyborg."

Raven glanced at the now contrite Cyborg.

"I forgive you Victor, just please don't do it again. Just because I'm married doesn't mean I've learned to deal with all my emotions, I'm still struggling with being married."

She then addressed all who were present.

"I take the relationship I've entered into very seriously. Azarathian marriages are unbreakable and are only dissolved by death. We entered into this marriage of our own free will, so there can be no annulment. We're married and all I ask for is that you respect the decision we made."

Robin stepped forward and took Raven's hands in his own gloved ones. He then kissed her on the cheek.

"I do respect the decision you made. Congratulations."

"Stop kissing my wife." Beast Boy, now wide awake, said with a grin.

Raven released Robin's hands and stepped next to her husband's hospital bed.

"How do you feel?"

"Like a bus hit me. I guess you saved my butt, the last thing I remember was morphing into an ankyolsaurus and burrowing into the ground. I felt like I was in an oven."

"You literally were." She replied. "It's a miracle you survived.

Beast Boy looked back towards the other three Titans.

"So what are you dudes doing here? Did you miss us that much?"

The room fell quiet and the changeling could feel the tension grow in the air. Robin finally broke the silence.

"We think Terra might be in Azarath."

"Might be? I saw her today. She caused the explosions that almost killed Gar." Raven corrected him.

"She tried to kill BB?" Cyborg asked incredulously. "No way, she wants him for herself."

"It was meant for me. After I healed Gar enough to keep him alive she confronted and challenged me to a fight for him. I refused her challenge and brought Gar here instead."

"So Terra's still here in Azarath?" Robin asked.

"That would be my guess, and in her deranged state she actually thinks that if she kills me that Gar will pair up with her instead."

Robin slammed his right fist into his palm.

"We'll be ready for her."

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Terra returned promptly to the apartment she was squatting in. Its bareness mirrored the way she was feeling: hollow and empty. She plopped down into a bean bag chair she had scrounged up and rubbed her temples. The day had been an utter disaster. Not only had she failed again to eliminate Raven she had almost killed Beast Boy accidentally in the process. The brief moment when she thought she had killed him was the worst moment of her life, and she had plenty of those in her "bad moments" hall of fame. She leaned back and massaged her temples. And to top it all off she had blown her cover. Maybe Slade was right, romantic entanglements just made the job complicated.

Terra sighed as the implications of her situation slowly sank in. She was in big trouble, but wasn't certain of just how much trouble she was in.

The next thing she did was to get up and turn on the built in computer console in the kitchen. Much to her chagrin every single news stream had a picture of her with the words "Wanted – Dead or Alive" underneath her mug shot, which was a photo from Earth where Terra was dressed in a business suit. There was no doubt in her mind, she was in deep. She quit surfing through the streams and stopped at one that had a news reporter going over a prepackaged press release.

_The Matriarchal Security Force is still searching for Terra Markov. Earlier today the criminal Earthling detonated several bombs at the Raven Roth Celebration, killing hundreds of people, including dozens of Matriarchs including the Crone Mother Xanathia. We have been informed that the criminal is a mortal enemy of the House of Roth Matriarch, Mistress Raven and that Mistress Raven was the primary target of the attack. Mistress Raven was unharmed by the attack but we have received word that while the Matriarch's First, the green Earthling she recently took on as her husband, suffered debilitating injuries from the attack he has nearly made a full recovery._

_Mistress Raven has informed the Security Force that Terra Markov is a geomancer and should be considered extremely dangerous. Under no circumstances should civilians attempt to engage or subdue her. If you have information regarding her whereabouts please contact the Security Force. We repeat, do not attempt to apprehend this criminal as she is a psychopath and a …_

The narrowcast was silenced as Terra's fist slammed through the console's control panel. Sparks flew as the screen went dark and the speakers began to emit white noise.

"Who's a psychopath? Who? You Raven, that's who!" Terra screamed at the now defunct console.

She began to pace around the apartment, periodically looking out the window at the street below. The city was swarming with police and all sorts of paramilitary forces. She even recognized a squad of female Tamaranian warriors. The Azarathian government had called in every favor owed to them and the help had arrived. It would be impossible to set foot outside without being seen.

Terra began to do what Slade had taught her: to identify and weigh her options. It didn't take long for her to see that there was no way she would be able to get at Raven. There would not be a second chance to attack her. After some strategizing Terra decided that it was now pointless to engage Raven on her home turf. She had no other option other than to return to Earth and hopefully Raven would be foolish enough to come back to Jump City to find her.

There was a problem that needed to be resolved: how to get out of Azarath? The city was still in lockdown, the bridge remained closed and the force field dome remained in place over the city, effectively sealing it off. Terra then recalled that while the building and roads had solid steel foundations under them that the city parks did not. If she could get to a park she would be able to burrow her way under Azarath, emerging from the bottom. The trick was in getting to the park unseen as the burrowing through the solid rock that the city was built in would take some time. She definitely couldn't come out of the building with guns blazing, as she would be caught.

Terra peered out of her window and saw the security forces stopping pedestrians and motorists, checking their identification before allowing them to proceed. She frowned as she pondered how to get past them when she noticed something: they were only stopping and checking women. Men were being waved past checkpoints.

"Fools." She said out loud before she smiled. She went to the wardrobe that she has stocked with stolen clothing and found what she was looking for: a gray cassock that would identify her as a middle class house husband. There was also a collapsible shopping basket which would signal to everyone that she, or should she say 'he', was on a shopping errand. She pulled her long hair into a pony tail and slipped on the cassock. After raising the hood she examined her handiwork in a mirror. Her lack of curves (at least when compared to Raven) came in handy as she was pleased with what she saw in the mirror: an Azarathian male. She even stuffed some fresh produce she had into the basket to complete the disguise.

As she rode the elevator down she planned her strategy should her subterfuge be uncovered. She concluded that if discovered the only viable strategy was to strike preemptively, which she would do with the Slade laser pistols she had hidden under cassock. Be swift, cause a pandemonium and vanish. Slade had always advised her to create a distraction in such a situation and she would use her pistols to set off an explosion if needed. Hopefully it would not come to that.

The service elevator doors parted open and she emerged into building's lobby. Other than another gray clad husband who was returning from a grocery errand of his own there was no one else present. The man didn't even glance at her as he stared at the floor in front of him, not even daring to exchange a glance with.

_I guess the house husbands don't even get together for coffee. Works for me._

Terra emerged from the building and made her way to the park. The sidewalks were crowded and the line at the first checkpoint was long. She queued up in the men's line and immediately noticed that it was moving faster. As she reached the checkpoint she could see the policewoman waving the men through after giving each one a cursory glance.

_What a bunch of chumps._ She thought to herself. _They've become so accustomed to men being their docile slaves that it doesn't even occur to them that I might disguise myself as a man_.

After she had cleared the check point she heard some of the crowd murmur as they pointed to the sky. Terra saw that it was Raven and Beast Boy flying overhead. Raven was in her black leotard and blue cape while Beast Boy was in the form of an eagle. Terra initially heaved a sigh of relief seeing that her beloved was unharmed and healthy enough to morph and fly under his own power. At the same time she couldn't take her eyes off of Raven's flying figure.

Terra felt a wave of rage surge through her and had to suppress the urge to attack Raven right there and then. It wasn't easy, but she had made her plan and was going to stick to it, plus she knew that Beast Boy would fight at Raven's side and he might be injured or even killed in the fight. She had made a plan, and she remembered what Slade had once told her: never deviate from a plan unless it is failing, that abandoning a well made plan to improvise more often than not led to disaster.

Terra watched the Logans (or the Roths, as they were known on Azarath) disappear as they flew down the street. What happened next caught her completely off guard: Robin and Cyborg were following Raven in a roofless air taxi, along with Starfire who was flying alongside them.

Terra resumed walking to the park, convinced that she had made the right decision. Taking on the five Titans was a recipe for disaster. Patience, Slade had told her, is the foundation that victories are built upon.

Terra passed through the second check point with ease and soon was at the park. It was a beautiful place, with grassy knolls and huge trees. There was a large playground full of fathers and small children, which Terra voided like the plague as she searched for a spot to begin burrowing. After a few minutes she found it, a small clearing hidden by a grove of trees. Satisfied that no one would see her she began to dig using her yellow energy.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Azarath was a magnificent looking city from above as the air taxi sped from the hospital back to Roth Tower. Robin and Cyborg took in the sights of the compact and dense city as the air taxi whizzed them to their destination. Starfire picked up the pace and caught up with Raven and Beast Boy as they reached the rooftop of Roth Tower.

The tower was a magnificent structure, its glass and alabaster gleamed in the sunlight like a jewel. The three flying Titans headed straight towards a violet haired woman and landed in front of her while the air taxi had to following a strict flight path that led to a landing zone on the rooftop where they were met a woman wearing what looked like either a police or military uniform.

"Follow me." She barked at them. "And do not speak unless you are addressed first by the Matriarch!"

Robin raised an eyebrow at the brusque command but said nothing. He nodded at Cyborg and they followed the serious looking woman who sported a crew cut. She led them to the place where Arella was standing with Raven, Starfire and Beast Boy. As they arrived a platoon of Tamaranian warriors swooped down from sky. The leader, who had insignia on her that was the Tamaranian equivalent of a Lieutenant, delivered a report to Arella.

"There has been no sighting of the geomancer, Mistress."

As Arella acknowledged the report the warrior noticed out of the corner of her eye that another Tamaranian stood beside Mistress Raven. She turned to get a better look and immediately dropped onto her right knee. The rest of the platoon followed suit.

"Your highness, your humble servant welcomes you to Azarath." The warrior announced as she averred her gaze to the ground.

Arella betrayed a look of amusement.

"Raven, you never told me that your teammate was Tamaranian royalty."

"You never asked, but I suppose that introductions are in order. This is Princess Koriand'r of Tamaran, Victor Stone from Earth, who prefers to be called Cyborg and finally our leader Robin, also from Earth."

The uniformed woman gasped.

"Mistress, do you mean to tell us that back on Earth this … male … was your Master?"

"Absolutely not!" Robin interjected. "We are a team of equals, my … leadership … is of one among equals."

The uniformed woman was about to protest Robin's claim to be equal to Raven or Starfire when Arella, anticipating her move, raised a hand and silenced her.

"I welcome the Teen Titans to the House of Roth. I am Raven's mother, Arella Roth and I am the head of the House of Roth. Would you please come and join me for lunch, as there is much to discuss."

"Might I inquire what we will be discussing?" Robin asked politely, his upbringing by Alfred Pennyworth had not been a total waste of effort.

Arella led them into an elevator. As the doors closed she answered him.

"As you may already know, Xanathia the Head Matriarch, the Crone Mother, was killed in the attack, along with several other prominent Matriarchs. We have now, for the lack of a better term, a power vacuum in the council ..."

"And you want to assume that role." Raven retorted cynically.

"Actually … no. For one thing one has to be nominated to the position of Head Matriarch. No one has nominated me, and I don't expect that anyone will."

Raven sighed.

"So we're going to have to play even more marriage politics, right Mother? Who do you want me to marry now? Not that it matters, you already know that I have forsaken any rights to a polygamous marriage and you can't make me do it."

Arella smiled.

"Raven, if we play our cards right not only will we save the House of Roth from financial ruin but you will be able to remain happily monogamous."

Raven crossed her arms and frowned at her mother as the elevator doors opened.

"And how are you going to pull this off, Mother?"

"Oh, it won't be my doing."

"Then would you mind sharing your little secret?"

Arella grinned.

"Raven, you have been nominated to be the next Head Matriarch, and from what I'm hearing you already have enough votes from the surviving Matriarchs to be elected."

Raven stared at her mother, completely dumbfounded.

"You can't be serious." She replied. "I can't be the Head Matriarch, we're returning to Earth."

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Well, interest has been light in this story so far. Fortunately I am doing this one because it's fun. Still I am puzzled as to why my other story in progress, 'The Gift', is so popular while 'Reimagined' is not. I guess it's one of those inexplicable mysteries.

And now, it's time for a very lightweight mailbag!

**bordom kills** -"hahaha omg you started this story again dude awesome sorry for the late review but anyways this story is already starting to sound just as epic as all your others good luck xD"

_Thanks! A late review is always better than no review._

**Jack b** - "Thank god for dinosaurs, where would BB be without them :). Terra is really really messed up, angry Raven and the team will have to show her the error of her ways, let's hope for her sake it's not raven who gets her."

_Terra is REALLY messed up in this story!_

**Felynxtiger** - "owww Terra was almost kill if it wasnt for BB :p

finally the titans get together, and their marriage has been reveal to the other i like how they react,

w00t for Azarath healing magic!

cant wait for the fight between Terra and Raven

untilnextchapty"

_The fight will have to wait ... for now._

**GreenRock** - "If I was Terra, I would get back to Earth post-haste and keeping running and not stop. No doubt that with impending death lingering above her head, Terra is going to go to even more extremes to destroy Raven; if explosives won't do the job, a more 'hands-on' method will be on the cards.

And now the the rest of the Titans have returned, Terra may not only have to contemplate eradicating Raven . . . but who knows what's going to arise in her twisted mind."

_You guessed right, Terra is retreating (and her mind is twisted) for now. I wonder what Slade will have to say to her?_

**Hairul The Nightrage Beast** - "LOL what Terra needs from raven is a really nice Kamen Rider Drop Kick to Terra's Face, that or Rae goes Full power and both of em end in via brutal beat down when they are exhausted."

_Terra might be crazy, but she's not stupid. She'll stay out of Raven's way until she has upper hand._

**titanfan45** - "I should be working right now but I had to check this out and I was not disappointed. That was a great confrontation between Raven and terra. Raven is going to have to play it cool when dealing with Terra, as she has proven herself to be a formidable opponent in the past. Back to the old think tank..."

_Above all else Terra is cunning. Hopefully Raven will remember that._


	15. Raven defiant!

Ok, here are standard disclaimers. I do not own, nor claim to own any rights to the Teen Titans, or any other borrowed characters. I also make no claims towards any original characters I invent for this story.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Raven stared at her mother, completely dumbfounded.

"You can't be serious." She replied. "I can't be the Head Matriarch, we're returning to Earth."

The elevator doors opened with a chime and Arella stepped off the lift. She turned and with a subtle head gesture she beckoned the 5 Titans to follow her. With a scowl Raven followed her and was joined by the others.

Arella led them to her private office. Her personal assistant was seated at her desk outside of the office's front door and raised an eyebrow when she saw that Arella had company. She rose to her feet.

"Welcome back Mistress Arella and Mistress Raven. We are all very relieved that neither of you were injured in the terrorist attack and that …"

Arella raised her hand to silence the woman.

"Thank you Xola, we are all in perfect health." She interrupted as she entered her office, followed by the Titans. "I don't want to be interrupted … by anyone."

"Yes Mistress, I will see to it that no one interrupts you." She replied as she closed the office door.

Once they had their privacy Raven snarled at her mother.

"I don't want to be the head Matriarch; in fact I don't want be a Matriarch at all! I just came here to introduce you to Gar. And what did I get for my trouble! You forced us into an early marriage …"

"Which you seem to be enjoying thoroughly, my lustful daughter."

Raven's face became red with anger.

"I DON"T WANT TO BE HEAD MATRIARCH!"

"You don't have in choice in the matter …"

"Yes! I know!" Raven huffed in an exasperated voice."If elected you have to serve. But why me? It's only a ceremonial position anyway."

Arella paced around the room, in a slow, deliberate pace.

"You're right; it is a ceremonial position, like the assembly and the Mayor's office. Everything is decided by the council through a vote."

"So why me?"

Arella sighed.

"The natives are getting restless Raven."

"And what's that supposed to mean?"

"They're demanding reforms, democratic reforms."

"Well, then give them the reforms."

"Are you insane? They want the assembly to have the same weight as the council!"

"So?"

"What do you think this is Raven? The United States? We wouldn't be able to buy out the assembly the way American plutocrats bribe their politicians. We would actually have to share our rule with the rabble."

Raven became indignant at her mother's comment.

"That 'rabble' is the people of Azarath, in case you have forgotten mother!"

"Yes Raven, we know that you care for them. And they love you, polls show that even the husbands adore you, not that their opinion counts."

Raven heaved a weary sigh.

"You just want to use me. It's the only thing you want from me … I never should have returned to Azarath."

Raven took Beast Boy's hand. The feeling of loathing she was feeling was boiling over and if she stayed even a moment longer she knew that she might do something she would later regret.

"Let's go Titans." She moaned in a clearly frustrated voice.

"And where are you going?" Arella harrumphed.

"We're going to our apartment. Or do I need the Council's permission to do that as well?"

Arella shook her head.

"The council is meeting tomorrow morning at 10 for the vote. I'll come to collect you at 9:30."

Arella paused.

"And no guests, they can watch from here on video stream."

Raven stomped out of the office, still holding her husband's hand while the other 3 Titans followed.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Terra flew away from Azarath as fast as she could will her boulder to fly. She looked down uneasily at the bottomless void below, which was shrouded in an unnatural mist. The massive ledge where terra firma awaited felt distant and once she was flying over it she heaved a sigh of relief. She glanced over her shoulder to see if anyone was pursuing her and she was gratified to see that the lone, distracted border guard at the bridge did not even see her.

She flew to the rendezvous point and hid herself amongst the boulders, waiting for Herald to arrive, unaware that his parents had been rescued and he would not be returning.

She checked her chronometer (Slade was a stickler for precision) and saw that the next rendezvous would be in just 7 minutes.

"Perfect timing." She muttered sotto voce.

While she waited Terra pondered what had happened. To say that she felt frustrated was an understatement. How was it possible that he had chosen the witch? She remembered how Raven always treated him like dirt from her own days as a Titan. How could she have trapped him? He even … married her, but how, and why?

Terra grimaced as the mental image of her beloved in intimate embrace with the witch formed in her mind.

"That should be me! He should be sleeping in my bed and not hers." She muttered bitterly. "If only I had kissed him on that Ferris wheel, we could have run away, he would have been mine, my lover, my mate … my husband."

Terra's train of thought was interrupted as a portal began open just a few yards from where she was sitting. She hopped to her feet and approached the growing black maelstrom. As soon as it stopped growing a figure emerged.

"On time as I req …" Terra stopped mid sentence.

She stared bug eyed at the person who emerged from the portal.

"Slade?"

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Raven collapsed onto one of the couches in her apartment, while Beast Boy sat down next to her. She cradled her head in her hands while rubbing your temples.

"Are you OK Raven?" Robin asked.

"What do you think?" She replied morosely. "In just three short days we were forced to get married, Terra almost murdered Gar, and now I'm being shanghaied into becoming the Head Matriarch because they think that I'll be able to pacify the masses."

"Rae, you mean … you're not … happy that we're official?"

She looked at her mate and caressed his cheek with the back side of her hand.

"I am ... I just wish it could have been on our own terms … and back at home with a proper ceremony and not that abomination that humiliated you."

Starfire looked perplexed.

"I do not understand Raven, how was our friend Beast Boy humiliated?"

Raven recounted the lopsided ceremony to her teammates.

"Yeah, that does kind of blow." Cyborg agreed.

"Then we shall do the correcting of the humiliation." Starfire added.

Raven looked perplexed.

"Really? How?"

Starfire giggled.

"Have you forgotten friend? I am a Princess of Tamaran. Like my sister I can conduct wedding ceremonies."

"Awright!" Cyborg cheered. "But don't we need some fixings to celebrate? I mean we can't have a wedding party without champagne and food!"

"We aren't 21 yet." Robin reminded his team.

"The drinking age on Azarath is 18." Raven corrected him as she picked up a phone and dialed up the Tower kitchen.

"They'll have some food and drinks here in 20 minutes."

"What about Terra?" Robin asked.

"She isn't invited to the party." Beast Boy replied.

"Very funny Beast Boy." The Boy Wonder moaned.

Raven was at a console and began to type some search commands.

"According to the latest report she escaped from Azarath. She dug a tunnel and escaped through the bottom of the city. The tunnel has been plugged up and magical shielding has been added to prevent her re-entry. We won't have to worry about her ... at least for now."

"Glorious!" Starfire announced. "We shall begin the ceremony now."

"How long will this take Starfire?" Raven asked with a hint of concern in her voice.

"The ceremony is very simple. It begins with the Ode to Marriage, which is short."

"Define 'short'" Raven demanded.

"It is a mere 348 verses."

The other 4 Titans moaned in response. Starfire tapped her fingers together.

"Perhaps I could recite only the first 10 verses?"

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

"Well, 'Partner', it seems that I have tracked you down. I suspected you would be here."

Terra huffed at her former mentor.

"Why can't you mind your own business Slade?"

"Because your business affects my business, our business Terra. Or have you forgotten that we have a business empire back at Jump City?"

Terra narrowed her eyes.

"You can keep it!"

Slade chuckled.

"Your kingdom for a green boy Terra? You can forget about him child, he married Raven and Azarathian marriages are undissolvable. He can't divorce Raven or even cheat on her, not unless he wishes to die a painful death."

"I could protect him." She protested.

"Not from the curse you can't."

Terra frowned at Slade.

"So what do you expect me to do? Just walk away and let Raven win? And this is all your fault Slade, if you hadn't interfered at the amusement park he would be mine now and we would have defeated the others. What do you have to say about that?"

The one eyed villain crossed his arms in a cocky and self confident stance.

"I'd say you are correct Terra."

"It's about time!" Terra sneered at him.

"And as for what I expect you to do … I expect you to let me help you."

"Help me?" She responded skeptically.

"Yes Terra, to help you destroy the Titans."

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

The alarm clock screamed it morning wake up call, its loud bell clattering like a runaway train, slicing through the tranquility of the master suite like a hot knife through butter. At first the neither of the two figures sleeping in the octagonal shaped bed even stirred, while the bell rang louder and louder until the changeling covered his ears while he whimpered. Finally a gray arm reached over and mercifully silenced the time piece.

"Oh my head! I'm dying Rae! What's wrong with me?"

Raven sat up in the bed and rubbed her own head with her hand.

"I believe it's called a hangover Gar."

"Can you make it go away?" He pleaded.

Raven leaned over him, placing her hands on his head as the blue light appeared. He continued to whimper and moan pathetically. She stopped after a minute.

"That's the best I can do Gar. You shouldn't have got so carried away last night. You drank way too much champagne."

His face still planted in the pillow he replied in a muffled voice.

"Cy, Robin and Star drank more than I did."

Raven hopped out of the bed, still disrobed and stretched, while her husband watched clandestinely with a grin on his face. That was one sight he would never grow tired of. His gray goddess was the epitome of feminine perfection, or as he would say: she was hot!

_BB, you are one lucky bastard_. He told himself as Raven made her way to bathroom, to prepare herself for the Council meeting. As soon as he heard the shower start he got up, ignoring his still aching head. He was certain that she would need him to scrub her back.

And he would never think once of ignoring her needs.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

For once Raven decided to wear Matriarchal white, but instead of wearing a dress she stuck with her leotard and cape. She flew to the Hall of Matriarchs under her own power. She refused a protective escort, even though her mother's security chief was adamant that she not travel alone. Raven blew her off and took to the sky while her mother boarded her armored air limousine.

The gray sorceress flew as fast as she could, leaving her mother and her entourage behind. The truth was that she had no desire to be associated with her mother, or any of the Matriarchs for that matter. As she zoomed across town she saw people wave at her, ordinary Azarathian women who were on their way to their way to their middle class jobs. She waved back at them while she pondered the enormous responsibility she carried on her shoulders. They were her people and they were counting on her. If only they understood how little authority she would have as Head Matriarch. Hers would be a bully pulpit at best, assuming she was even elected, which she hoped would not come to pass.

Raven landed in front of the street level entrance to the Hall of Matriarchs, which was locked as the Matriarchs always arrived in their flying cars, landing on the rooftop. Raven phased through the locked glass doors and was greeted by several guards, who trained their energy weapons on her. Before they could recognize her she seized their plasma rifles with her obsidian light and crushed them.

She marched past the astonished guards, who began to apologize to her once they did recognize her. Ignoring them she made her way to the great hall. She had visited the great hall as a child when her mother brought her to the council meetings when she was a child.

The great hall looked like a small arena. Each matriarchal house had a small box, like those found in an opera house. Raven recalled that the House of Roth's box was on the middle level. As she entered she saw dozens of Matriarchs milling about, talking and socializing before the meeting was to begin.

"Raven! So you did take him as your first!"

Raven saw that it was her old acquaintance Nara, who she had met in the street the day that she returned to Azarath.

"I took him as my one and only." She replied.

Nara giggled.

"Oh Raven! You can't be a mono! We're going to elect you as head Matriarch!"

Raven glared at the young woman. Nara's mother had died during Terra's attack, yet she seemed completely unfazed.

"Watch me." She replied curtly as she headed off to her seat without excusing herself. Nara watched her walk away with a bemused expression as she was joined by another young Matriarch.

"Your friend sure is strange, and she's also a mono."

"No one's perfect." Nara replied with a cunning grin. "But she'll do just fine. The masses love that she's a mono. It will be the perfect distraction."

Raven took her seat and was soon joined by her mother. Within a few minutes a woman stepped up to the podium in the center of the hall and loudly banged a large gavel on the podium. Raven recognized her as the late Xanathia's oldest daughter, a woman of about Arella's age.

"We have a quorum!" The woman shouted. "The first order of business is to elect a new Head Matriarch. Are there any nominations?"

Several women shouted 'Raven of the House of Roth'.

"Are there any others?" She shouted.

"Nara of the House of Rakan" Raven shouted.

"Any others?" The woman shouted. "There are no more. Let the voting begin. All in favor if Nara of Rakan?"

A handful of 'ayes' echoed throughout the hall.

"All in favor of Raven of Roth?"

The hall thundered in a chorus of 'ayes'. The chairwoman banged her gavel.

"Raven of the House of Roth is elected."

The hall broke into thunderous applause while Raven crossed her arms and frowned. Once the applause died down the chairwoman banged her gavel again.

"Congratulations Raven. We will now proceed to the next order of business: The bailout of the House of Roth. Arella your house owes 7.685 billion credits to the other houses. It is proposed that these debts be covered by the public treasury …"

"Excuse me!" Raven stood up and shouted. "How exactly is the treasury supposed to cover that many credits?"

Another Matriarch, who Raven recognized as the Finance Minster stood up.

"3 billion will be covered by increased taxation …"

"You mean on the working class?" Raven snarled into her microphone.

The Finance Minister laughed.

"Who else would we tax? And the rest will come out of budget cuts to education, public health and public relief."

Raven's eyes glowed red.

"You're going to cut education? In Azarath of all places? And what are the unemployed supposed to do? Isn't the unemployment rate at 17%?"

"That is correct Head Mistress. The schools and libraries will have to make do with a 50% budget cut, as for what the unemployed will do; we expect that will leave Azarath."

Raven was livid.

"I will veto this Bill if it's passed." She threatened.

"We will need an accurate ballot count for this bill." The chairwoman announced. "You may use the voting consoles in your booths now."

Raven reached for her console and pressed the button labeled "Nay" while Arella pressed the "Aye" button on her own console. Several seconds elapsed while the other Matriarchs cast their vote.

"The vote is complete. The Bill passed with 97% voting aye. I am sorry Head Mistress, but the vote is veto proof and has passed."

A feeling of utter disgust flooded Ravens senses. The Matriarchs were going to stick Azarathian families with the bill, the huge bill, for their financial mistakes. And at the moment there was absolutely nothing she could do about it. It frustrated her to no end. She had no problem fighting and defeating villains, but the Matriarchs were operating within the laws of Azarath. If she were to defy them … she would become the outlaw.

Raven turned and stormed out of the hall.

"If they think I'm going to be their lapdog … they picked a fight with the wrong woman!" She muttered under her breath.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

And we are back! Sorry for the delay!

And now, a much delayed mail bag!

**Stella de Oro** - "Loving the story so far! Keep up the good work and can't wait for more. This is easily one of my favorite in-progress stories right now. Of course, I just discovered it yesterday and I've read the entire thing between yesterday and today. I did read most of the original a long time ago, but I am liking this version better, based on what I remember of the old version."

_Thanks! I think that this story is more interesting and the writing a little better than the original._

**Blanc Corbeau** - "Hey!

the first story of tough times in jump city was one of the first i have ever read on this site, so it's a good surprise to see that it's being re-written.

I really like your writing, and this story is simply wonderful.

the reaction of the characters to certain things are well described, yet i believe the story is straight and very forward.

the plot is engaging, but what some characters are thinking could be explained a little bit longer.

Anyhow, if I was Terra, i would just go on Earth on a rempaging spree!

just kidding! ...maybe."

_Thanks! I will take your suggestion to heart._

**Jack b** - "I have to say I'm puzzled as well, while the gift is a great story I would have thought that this one at least rivals it's quality, if not more. And raven must be getting very annoyed at her mother by now :)"

_Yeah, I made Arella into an even bigger jerk than in the original story!_

**Hairul The Nightrage Beast** - "From my POV once Raven is Head Matriarch, with the pwoers vested on her, she will scrap the backward Matriarchal and also Polygamous system to that of Monos and the Matriarchs will be so be out of business. And yeah it takes 2 to play the cunning game with Terra and the Titans sure will whacked the snot outta Terra if she went All Guns Blazing.

P.S. I'm looking forward to the next chapter and don't abandon this fic like the other fics, one thing that pisses me off is that when writers do their fics hanging in the mid with no ending to the story meh. It's one of my pet peeves."

_I will finish this story before writing the alternate ending to The Gift!_

**GreenRock** - "Well, Slade will definitely not approve of Terra suddenly abandoning him to go gallivanting off on her own agenda; maybe repercussions are on the cards for Terra.

Who knows what other diabolical methods Terra will resort to to get BB; she just can't seem to get the message."

_Slade always has something up his heavily armored sleeve!_

**FelynxTiger** - "There should be a book by Slade call 'how to be a villain and create great plans for Dummies' lol

looks like being an apprentice wasn't a total waste

I'm glad that the other titans respect Raven's decision , the family bounding is to sweet

.chapter"

_I thought I saw that book at Barnes and Noble!_

**AkumaKami64** - "No offense, but somehow, what Arella is doing isn't all that surprising at this point. And I'm enjoying the Azarathians react to Robin being the leader of the team and everything else. Ohh, as for why this is unpopular compared to Gift, I'd guess the summary."

_I will update the summary! Thanks!_

**Densharr** - "Hey, you restarted this story! Awesome. It was one of the earlier TT stories that I read, and part of the reason that I like BBRae so much.

...slaps forehead. Of COURSE Rae got nominated to be Head Matriarch. I nearly laughed when the guard thought that Robin was Raven's... Master. I can just imagine the comical eye-popping.

Can't wait for the next chapter!"

_Sorry to keep you waiting! _

**titanfan45** - "Raven as head Matriarch, that would be most interesting. Although you aren't getting the interest in this story that you'd like, I'm glad you are having fun with it as it is a very well written and intetresting story."

_After writing The Gift I can only hope this story measures up._


	16. The calm before the storm

Ok, here are standard disclaimers. I do not own, nor claim to own any rights to the Teen Titans, or any other borrowed characters. I also make no claims towards any original characters I invent for this story.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Raven turned and stormed out of the hall.

"If they think I'm going to be their lapdog … they picked a fight with the wrong woman!" She muttered under her breath.

The walk from the Roth's booth to the hall's exit was long and Raven felt as if she was running gauntlet as hundreds of disapproving eyes glared at her.

"Raven, come back!" Her mother called out to her. "You can't leave before the council has concluded the meeting!"

Raven ignored Arella and picked up the pace as she marched towards the exit. The great hall was echoing with the cacophony of hundreds of voices that were engaged in dozens of conversations. Her mind raced as she struggled to keep her own rage and fury under control. As she approached the exit her outfit reverted back to her default blue and black colors.

As she reached the exit she was intercepted by her childhood friend Nara.

"Raven, please don't leave!" She begged her.

"Give me one good reason why I should stay here."

Nara gave her a gentle smile.

"You're the head Matriarch!"

"I don't care." Raven replied as she pushed past her friend who grabbed her arm.

Raven gave her a glare that said "If you want to keep that hand, you'd better let go of me!"

"Think of the people Raven!"

The gray sorceress's expression switched from anger to pure disgust.

"The people? Are you saying that by becoming the Head Matriarch that I'll help the people? That's idiotic! Illogical! Even Gar wouldn't have said anything so absurd and ridiculous when he was young."

Nara looked confused at first but her expression soon changed.

"You mean your first? Not surprising, after all, all men are mentally inferior …"

Raven slapped Nara across her face. The Matriarch withheld her retaliation; know she was no match for the demoness. Instead she returned to her original mission.

"Hear me out Raven." She replied as rubbed her swollen cheek. "Let's talk somewhere in private."

Nara led Raven into her booth and closed the door behind her.

"We're on the verge of a revolution Raven. The masses are … grumbling."

"Wait until they find out their taxes are being raised and that the budgets are being cut to bail out my mother. That'll go over like a lead balloon."

"That's why we need you Raven. Violence could break out, and if that happens the people will suffer!"

Raven crossed her arms and frowned.

"And that's bad for business, right?"

Nara smiled while she shrugged her shoulders.

"Well now that you mention it, yes." She replied as she placed her hands on Raven's shoulders.

The sorceress pushed Nara away from her.

"I will have no part in the theft that the Matriarchs are about to commit."

Raven looked out of the booth's closed front window and saw that most of the assembled Matriarchs were watching Nara's booth. They were mostly younger women and Raven had hoped that they would be more enlightened than their mothers. She was left disappointed as the new generation of Matriarchs, who had been cast into the limelight by Terra's deadly attack, were every bit as selfish and greedy as their now dead mothers. She turned back to Nara and locked eyes with her.

"I'm not going to be your stooge Nara; I don't care if the people do revolt. In fact, I hope that they do revolt. And if they do, I'll be on their side!"

Nara's eyes widened as she gasped.

"Don't say that Raven!"

"Why not?" She snarled back.

Nara's expression became grim.

"That would be treason. And you know the punishment for treason."

"You and what army Nara? You can force me to be Head Matriarch, the Magical Articles of the Confederation have that binding power, but you can't make me toe the corporate line."

"Please Raven, I'm begging you! This would tear Azarath apart!"

Raven glared at Nara in silence for what felt like an eternity.

"So be it!" She growled. "Consider me a traitor."

Raven phased into the ground and vanished.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxx

Raven emerged on the rooftop of the Hall of Matriarchs, which stood across the street from the much less opulent Chamber of Deputies. But at the moment that was not what captured her attention.

There were several skyscrapers around the Hall of Matriarchs that had huge banners hanging from them. Each banner had Raven's smiling face on it with the caption "The People's Matriarch".

Raven's eyes narrowed and split into their demonic configuration. She lifted herself and became airborne, her hood raised and her cape billowing behind her as she flew towards the nearest banner, which was simply enormous, over 100 feet long.

Muttering her mantra under her breath she encased the banner in her obsidian light, ripping it to shreds, which fell upon the gathered crowds below like snowflakes. She barreled over to the next banner and also shredded it, repeating the process until they were all destroyed.

Raven calmed herself and her eyes reverted to their default amethyst orbs as she hovered hundreds of feet in the air. And that's when she heard it. It had started when she was shredding the banners, weak at first but grew louder and louder.

"Raven! Raven!" The assembled masses cheered.

The gray sorceress hesitated on what to do next, until she saw a woman with a megaphone in the crowd. She swooped down towards the woman, who thrust the megaphone into Raven's hands. She flew back up into the air, about 100 feet over the crowd and hovered. She raised the megaphone to her mouth, set the volume to maximum and pressed its gun like trigger.

"The Matriarchs are planning on robbing you!" Her voice echoed through the urban canyon of skyscrapers. "And they want me to help them. BUT I WON"T!"

The crowd, which Raven estimated to be around 100,000 souls, roared its approval.

"Stay in your homes and do not engage the Matriarchs, they are looking for an excuse to commit violence against you. I will meet with the Mayor and the Chamber of Deputies to discuss our next move. Until then keep your families safe and do not go to work. WE ARE ON STRIKE!"

Raven returned the megaphone to its owner as the crowd roared its approval, after which she flew off to Roth Tower.

As Raven disappeared in the distance she was observed by two older Matriarchs and a younger one rom the Hall's observation deck.

"I was afraid it would come to this." A matronly Matriarch observed.

"The assassin is ready to do our bidding." The other older woman added before turning to the younger woman.

"Nara, you will help the assassin set the trap. Raven has become a liability."

Nara crossed her arms as she watched Raven slowly disappear in the distance.

"You can count on me."

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

The mood at Roth Tower was somber to say the least. The events at the Hall of Matriarchs had been broadcast throughout the entire city, including Raven's call to a general strike. The Tower's general manager had already forbidden any employees to return to their home at the end of their shifts, under pain of dismissal if they did. This included not only the lowly housekeeping staff but corporate employees as well: accountants, engineers, management, etc.

This did not sit well with Raven when she returned as she was mobbed by many staff members who begged her for permission to return to their homes and families.

As Raven gave them her blessing, the general manager, a woman named Zira Fontrel approached the crowd.

"Anyone who leaves to participate in the strike will be dismissed from serving the House of Roth." She shouted.

Raven glared at the woman.

"What did you say?"

"I am sorry Mistress, but these are your mother's direct orders. Even you cannot override them."

"Wanna bet?" Raven muttered to her.

The sorceress turned to face the thousands of Roth employees who were assembled in the Tower's lobby.

"You have my personal guarantee that you will not lose your jobs. Now go home and stay there until I resolve this issue."

Raven felt a firm hand on her shoulder which spun her around.

"Just what do you think you are doing?"Fontrel virtually spat in her face."You do not have that authority, interloper."

"Take your hand off of me."

Fontrel's response was to slap Raven across her face, after which she grinned.

"I've been wanting to do that since the day you came back, you ingrate! You've been doing nothing but undermine your mother's authority since you returned from Earth with your dangerous ideas. You are unworthy of being your mother's heiress. You have done nothing except embarrass and humiliate her since your unwelcome arrival with your degenerate immortality!"

Raven's eyes were glowing red, but the woman seemed unfazed.

"Do not believe for a moment that the Tower staff approves of the immoral relationship you have with your first, sleeping with him as if you were an animal."

Raven's teeth were now serrated.

"But worst of all you chose to not take any more husbands. As if that green moron was superior to the fine bachelors that were offered to you. He is a boorish commoner, unworthy to even scrub the floors in the Tower. By choosing that whore as your first you have disgraced all of us …"

Fontrel found herself trapped in Raven's obsidian light.

"How dare you call him that?" Raven screamed as she prepared to do something unspeakable to the woman. Fontrel gasped as she saw dark tendrils emerge from under Raven's cape which was draped around her like a cloak.

It was then that Raven felt a hand on her shoulder.

"Don't touch me!" She snarled before turning around. Her eyes widened in surprise.

"Don't hurt her Rae." He commanded her in a gentle yet authoritative voice.

Raven immediately shrank back down to her default form, but did not release the woman.

"Did you hear what she said Gar?"

He nodded.

"I did, but don't hurt her Rae, you can't."

Raven frowned, but released the woman, who was attended to immediately by Tower security.

"If you ever call him that again, even he won't be able to stop me!" She snarled at the General Manager.

"Raven, you might be Head Matriarch, but you cannot mistreat my staff!" Arella announced as she arrived charging into the lobby with a stern look on her face.

Raven flew up to her mother. Her own face screamed murder.

"I am not going to be the Council's lapdog! And we are not keeping the employees hostage in the Tower!"

"It's for their own safety Raven."

"Their safety? Don't lie to me mother!"

Arella crossed her arms as she addressed her daughter.

"There is a curfew in place, thanks to you Raven! Anyone caught outside will be executed on the spot! And it's too bad you left! That vote wasn't veto proof, you could have stopped it."

The tall Matriarch then addressed the staff assembled.

"You will stay in the servant's quarters tonight. Now go to the dining hall unless you wish to go to bed without dinner."

The staff quickly dispersed and soon Raven, Beast Boy, Arella and Fontrel were alone in the great lobby. Raven gave Fontrel one of her signature death glares.

"You will apologize for what you said." She snarled.

"Never mind that Raven, there are bigger issues at hand." Arella interrupted.

"Such as?"

Arella sighed.

"The Council has retained the services of assassin, from outside of Azarath, to eliminate you."

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

A shorter chapter. Hopefully shorter and more frequent chapters will draw in more readers, as hit counts have been … disappointing to say the least. Thanks to those that have been reviewing. You have been few so the mailbag will be unusually brief.

**King of Rice** - "Great chapter, keep up the good work. I started reading the series and couldn't stop, you my friend have talent."

_Thanks! Such words are always appreciated._

**Stella de Oro** - "Oooooh boy. Someone's gonna be in trouble. Teen Titans Lesson #1: Don't mess with Raven. I can't wait to see how Raven turns this bigoted system backwards. Or simply get her own personal revenge. That works too. She's angry and she's smart. Always a dangerous combination.

Keep up the excellent work!"

_Thanks. As we now see things have become complicated. Of course Raven isn't afraid of any assassin._

**Author Penholder** - "awesome. I hope to see Raven do some political ass kicking."

_I think we're looking at a full blown civil war._

**FelynxTiger** - "back to the old times with Slade destroy the titans ,

It frustrated me that Raven can't make her decisions like she want to , i like the ceremony part back on earth with Star XD

seeyounextchapty."

_I wonder how much the Matriarchs are paying Slade. Oops! Did I say that?_

**Hairul The Nightrage Beast** - "Raven leading a revolt? Hell Yes, Power to the Masses! The Matriarchs will get their hands full haha xD And now Slades thrown in to the equation, it will be a messy affair."

_It will be very messy and the final outcome will be VERY different from the original story._

**AkumaKami64** - "Why do I get the feeling the shits about to hit the fan very shortly? If Raven doesn't find a loophole or somehow convince the Matriarchs to change, than I'd be more worried about what BB will do then anything else.

Hmm, my own bet on what will happen is on Slade and Terra's assualt(s) end up killing more of the matriarchs."

_BB won't be content to be a househusband, not that Raven expects that of her green stud and partner. _

**titanfan45** - "I'm guessing that Raven is going to take her case against the Matriarchs to the unwashed masses."

_She has already begun, of course there is martial law in place, but how long can that last?_


	17. The Rescue

Ok, here are standard disclaimers. I do not own, nor claim to own any rights to the Teen Titans, or any other borrowed characters. I also make no claims towards any original characters I invent for this story.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Arella sighed.

"The Council has retained the services of assassin, from outside of Azarath, to eliminate you."

Raven placed her hand on her waist and rolled her eyes. The rest of the Titans soaked in the news with a hint of disbelief.

"Am I supposed to be scared?" She asked in her signature monotone.

"Do you know who they hired?" Robin interjected.

Arella shook her head.

"I wasn't even supposed to know that a contract has been placed on Raven's head."

"So much for civilized Azarath." Robin complained.

"Perhaps is would be wise to leave." Starfire added.

"Fat chance." Raven replied. "My people are counting on me. There's no way I'm going to abandon them."

"Your people? Aren't you taking this Matriarch role a little too seriously?" Cyborg asked.

Before Raven could reply the changeling spoke up.

"What's wrong with you guys? We're superheroes. Maybe Jump City no longer wants us around, but Azarath does."

"I just wish I knew what we were up against." Robin added. "I hate working in the dark." He glanced at the changeling. "What do you think Beast Boy?"

The green Titan looked at his wife before replying. He saw both the confidence and defiance that emanated from her. He thought of Raven backing down, and the only word that appeared in his mind was 'Never'.

"Well, I am a little worried about someone being out to get Raven. It's not like it hasn't happened before, but at least this time we know."

He took Raven's hand in his own and squeezed it.

"I'm 100% behind whatever Rae wants to do."

Robin acknowledged him with a nod.

"OK then, we're staying. But we need a plan. Arella, can we count on you to help us?"

The head of the House of Roth gave the Boy Wonder an indignant glare.

"What kind of question is that?"

It was Starfire's turn to intervene.

"It has been my observation that Azarathian politics are what Earthlings would call 'Machiavellian'. Forgive us for questioning your loyalty Mrs. Roth, but after observing the behavior of your fellow Matriarchs on the video feed from the Hall of Matriarchs it has become obvious that we should not assume anything."

"Do you think I would have told you anything if I was on their side?"

"You might lose your bailout." Raven remarked wryly.

Arella sighed in exasperation.

"We're on the verge of a revolution Raven. Something tells me that I won't be getting that bail out after all."

Raven locked eyes with her mother. She recalled when she encountered her when she fled to Azarath to find a way to stop Trigon. Arella had been useless back then, which Raven had yet to forgive her for, even if she had been a mere vision.

"Can I trust you mother?" She queried her. "So far you haven't given me a good reason."

Arella looked upon her strange daughter. She knew that Raven's powers were frightful and was well aware that her daughter was a half demon. Arella had written her off when she was young, sending her off to the monastery where the monks raised her and helped teach her to learn to control her powers. The green boy stood next to her, looking protective while they all knew that Raven was far more powerful than he was. Yet there was a strength she saw in her son in law, one that she couldn't quite put her finger on. She knew that Raven trusted the boy with her own life, which served to remind her of how distant she had become from her one and only daughter.

"You have good reason to not trust me Raven, which is why I'm turning the House of Roth over to you. The full resources of the House are at your command and disposal Raven."

Gar saw a brief glimpse of astonishment on Raven's face.

"Thank you mother. I wasn't asking for that, but I will accept it."

Arella placed her hands on the girl's shoulders.

"I'm placing all my trust in you Raven. If your revolution fails we'll lose everything. And I don't just mean the house of Roth. Our employees will also be considered traitors and will be executed if we lose."

"Then we'd better not lose." Raven replied in her monotone. "As for the employees, we'll have to bring their families here. They won't be safe outside of Roth Tower."

"What kind of defenses do we have Arella?" Robin asked.

"The Tower should offer us some protection initially. There are no heavy armed forces in Azarath, no heavy artillery. Of course the council could hire mercenaries to attack us."

"Then we'd better move fast." Robin added. "Time isn't on our side."

"It isn't." Raven added. "Where is the Mayor?"

"She's trapped in the Chamber of Deputies hall, along with the entire assembly. They were the first ones to be surrounded." Arella replied. "The Articles of Confederation prohibit the Matriarchs from occupying that building, bit with martial law all bets are off."

Robin slammed his fist into his palm.

"Then they'll be the first one's we rescue."

"I agree. We will need to form a provisional government, and they're the logical place to start." Raven added.

Robin cleared his throat.

"It's been weeks since I've had the opportunity to say this."

He grinned.

"Titans! Go!"

"Booyah! Now you're talking."

"Let us proceed to kick the oppressive butt!"

Beast Boy turned to his wife.

"Just like old times!"

She squeezed his hand.

"Only better." She replied.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

The sound of repetitive dripping echoed in the underground lair, as the steady stream of water droplets fell onto the tiled floor. A lone figure sat at a workbench, oiling the barrel of a disassembled rifle. He inspected the parts with the fastidiousness of a jeweler examining a diamond, which wasn't surprising as he would expect nor tolerate anything less than perfection from tools of his trade. He lovingly reassembled the weapon, caressing it as if it were a lover. He then stored the rifle in a cabinet as he removed another one; this time is was a sniper's rifle. It was one of his favorites.

He paused before disassembling the sniper rifle, and instead opened the letter he had received.

It was a very strange looking letter. It size was non standard and the paper was such he had never seen before. He opened it with a razor thin dagger he kept sheathed around his right shin and read its contents.

He smiled as he tossed the letter, which had been delivered to him via the assassin's network, onto his workbench. He avoided all forms of electronic communication as he did not trust them to be either safe or secure, plus he didn't need them. Customers were never in short supply and as long as he stayed out of Gotham he never had to worry about being pursued by the Bat, a mistake he was determined to never repeat.

His jobs took him around the world and he enjoyed every challenge they posed him. He wasn't fussy about his targets. As long as his pay demands were met he didn't care who or where the target was. There was a simple pleasure in stalking and taking down one's prey. It didn't matter to him if it was a politician, an industrialist, an intellectual or a mere cheating lover. A contract was a contract, and he had a reputation to keep: He never botched a job, except for one time. He would not make that mistake again, which is why he refused to accept jobs in the greater Gotham area. He didn't feel bad however; no one had ever been able to take down the Bat. Not the Joker, not Deathstroke, nor anyone else. Some had come close, but they never succeeded, so he felt he could be forgiven … for now.

But this new job was different, very different. While he avoided the Dark Knight he wasn't above tackling other superheroes, and had taken a few minor ones down over the years. The contract, which he had already decided to accept, would pose some interesting challenges. For one thing, it was off world. That didn't really matter to him as it was the government in that distant locale who was hiring him, so he didn't have to worry about run-ins with the local authorities.

What was challenging was the target. Not that he would back away from that. In fact he relished the challenge.

After cleaning the sniper rifle he rose from his workbench and walked over to a tall chest of drawers, and pulled one of the drawers open. It was full of boxes of ammo and he pulled several out and placed them inside of an elegant, custom made travel case that was made for the sniper rifle. He opened one of the boxes and extracted a single bullet, which he inspected carefully as he would accept nothing less than utter perfection. Satisfied with what he saw he restored it to the box.

The bullet's shell casing had a monogram on it. Two letters, two simple letters he always left behind as his calling card after completing a job.

The letters 'D.S.'

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

The Titans took Arella's armored flying limousine, flying the Head Matriarch's flag from behind it. The flag was a sky blue field with the floating city on it topped by a odd, crown like hat which the Head Matriarch used to wear in ancient times.

The limo was approached by a flying police car which immediately veered off once the limousine was identified and instead it followed the flying car from a respectful distance.

Cyborg was at the wheel of the limo and while it was true that they Titans did not require a flying car to get to the Hall of Deputies they would need the oversized car to smuggle as many people out as possible.

Raven had already dispatched every flying bus, also flying the Head Matriarch's colors, to collect the families of her staff. She had informed the staff that they were free to leave Azarath under her protection and many had accepted her offer, but many more chose to stay behind and serve her and the cause. Raven's only fear was that security forces might fire upon the busses, but so far that had yet to happen as the last busses had finished making their rounds and were returning to Roth Tower.

The Chamber of Deputies was soon visible and as expected there was a siege around it. Several flying police cars hovered around the building, preventing any flying vehicles from approaching or leaving the Chamber building while hundreds of police officers on the ground cordoned off the building.

"Looks like they're waiting for us." Robin announced.

"Maintain your course Cyborg. They shouldn't try anything. As Head Matriarch I have … certain rights."

As if on cue the radio in the flying limo came to life.

"Mistress, the Chamber is under blockade. Please turn away." A disembodied voice almost pleaded with her.

Raven picked up the handset from the radio.

"I have summoned the Mayor and the Speaker of the Assembly, as is my right under article 17 of the Articles of Confederation. Since you won't allow them to come to me, I have come to see them."

"Mistress, is there no way I might dissuade you? The council gave strict orders that no one is to visit them …"

"Which do not apply to me. Now please stand aside or I will forcefully remove you and your vehicle."

Raven dropped the connection and watched the police cars as the approached.

"You remember what I told you Starfire."

"I am ready to engage them Raven, between the three of us we should be able to clear a path to the building."

Raven, Starfire and Beast Boy stood by the limo's door, ready to jump out and begin fighting the police. The tension in the limo was palpable as they drew closer and closer while the blockade remained in place.

"Looks like we're gonna have to do this the hard way." Beast boy announced just before morphing into a humming bird and perching on his wife's shoulder.

As Raven reached to open the door the police cars parted, opening a path to the roof top landing port on the Chamber hall. Cyborg deftly guided the limo to the landing pad and touched down. The pad then retracted into the building and soon the limo was no longer visible.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

The limo's occupants heaved a collective sigh of relief. They knew that they would eventually have to confront the Matriarch's security forces, but now, during a rescue, was not the time.

The limo's door was opened from the outside and Raven immediately recognized who had opened it. It was Ria Zoval, the President of Azarath University.

"Mistress Raven, it is so good to see you!" Ria said as she bowed to Raven.

"Please don't call me that, and please don't bow to me either. I'm not … comfortable with that. Just call me Raven."

Zoval smiled as she adjusted her glasses.

"Of course." She replied as the Titans emerged from the limo.

"Ria, I would like to introduce you to my teammates. Back on Earth we're known as the Teen Titans."

Raven paused while Beast Boy stood next to her.

"I am familiar with Mr. Roth. It's a pleasure to meet you." Zoval said as she extended her hand to him. He accepted it and shook hands with her.

"You can call me Beast Boy."

Raven then introduced the remaining Titans to Zoval.

"Where are the others?" Raven asked.

"They have taken refuge in the basement. We're surprised that they haven't stormed the building yet."

"Your building looks pretty secure to me." Cyborg interjected. "I think they're just waiting for your supplies to run out and for you to surrender."

Zoval led them to a stairwell.

"They cut the power. And we have no food." She said as she flicked on her flash light to illuminate the darkened stairs.

"I'm still not used to being called 'Mr. Roth'." Beast Boy whispered into Raven's ear.

"Tell you what. I'll be Mrs. Logan and you can be Mr. Roth."

"Sure, why not? But I still want a real honeymoon Rae."

Raven smiled. The thought of an honest to goodness honeymoon had yet to cross her mind, not after all the turmoil they had to endure so far.

"Where do you want to go Gar?"

"I was thinking of just you and me on a desert island."

"You just want to make love on the beach." She teased him.

"Well … maybe." He replied nonchalantly.

"Get a room you guys!" Cyborg protested. "You aren't the only one with super hearing, grass stain."

They finally reached the basement where they found the 12 Deputies and the Mayor, huddled in a room that was illuminated by a battery powered lantern. The 13 women stood up, exuding the relief they were feeling.

"Mistress, you have come to save us!" The Mayor cheered.

Raven felt underwhelmed by the 13 fearful women that stood before her. She knew that the Deputies and the Mayor were little more than figure heads. The Mayor was little more than an administrator and the Deputies has no legislative authority, at least in nothing that mattered. She, along with the Deputies was given a budget by the Matriarchs from which they were expected to keep the more mundane tasks in Azarath functioning: keep the busses running and the trash collected. They ran the schools and hospitals as well. The Matriarchs, in addition to the police and border guards, ran the utilities, which is why the Chamber building was dark.

Any hope that Raven had in finding these women to be useful allies popped like a soap bubble. Sure, they were well educated and had good administrative skills, but they were not leaders, not by any stretch of the imagination.

Still, those bureaucratic skills could come in handy.

"We're taking you to Roth Tower. We need to hurry." Raven announced.

"Mistress, you have brought your first with you. Why?" One of the deputies asked after noticing the three men. "Are these other men also your husbands?"

"They are not my husbands. They are superheroes and have journeyed with me, along with Princess Starfire to protect you."

"Mistress, you are not serious?" The Mayor asked. "Protected by men?"

"Do you want to be rescued or not?" Beast Boy growled at them.

The thirteen women scowled at the changeling, which did not go unnoticed by Raven.

"We're leaving. You're welcome to stay here if you wish. The choice is yours." Raven announced in a clearly irritated tone.

The women muttered their apologies to Raven and scurried after the Titans as they made their way up the stairs back to the limo. Raven whispered to her mate.

"I expected more from them. They're just as backwards as the Matriarchs Gar. Maybe we should just leave; they don't want to be helped."

He took her hand and squeezed it.

"They do want to be helped Rae, they just aren't ready to go as far as you would like them. They aren't ready yet."

Raven recalled when she first arrived on Earth after running away from Azarath. The first thing she noticed was that women and men in Jump City were very different from those on Azarath. She had fled because of the rejection she suffered due to her "differences". Her demonic identity was hidden from the masses, but they knew she was different, that she had fearsome powers. But the culture shock in Jump City had caught her by surprise. She had learned of those differences in the monastery, but it was something else to experience them in person. It didn't take her a long time to adapt.

Maybe Gar was right, she was expecting too much, too soon from her people. But the fact remained that she would not allow the Matriarchs to continue exploiting her people.

Her people.

Raven had grown accustomed to thinking of the residents of Jump City as "her people", but back then all she had to do was apprehend villains. What she was facing now … was different. The truth about the Matriarchs, while what they did what reprehensible, was perfectly legal, defensible by law. And that was what the Titans did, they enforced the law.

Raven felt a lump in her stomach as the approached the hangar deck. This was insurrection. Technically, she was the villain now, fighting against the law… an unjust law. He heaved a heavy sigh. Gar's desert island honeymoon was starting to sound really good now.

Robin was in front of the entourage and opened the stairwell door that led to the hangar where the limo was waiting for them.

And slammed the heavy metal door shut as a barrage of fire erupted from the hangar. The sounds of the plasma bolts hitting the door resonated like a calypso drum, but without the harmonious tune.

"Everyone get back, it's an ambush!" The Boy Wonder shouted.

"We need the limo to get out of here!" Beast Boy howled. "We have to take the hangar deck back."

Raven turned to her 14 evacuees.

"Stay in here until we call for you!" Raven commanded them. "Gar, you're with me!"

"You got it babe!" He shouted back at her as they phased together into the floor.

Robin opened the door and launched several of his bird-a-rangs while Starfire and Cyborg charged into the hangar. Starbolts sizzled and the echo of sonic cannons was heard throughout the large room.

The SWAT team was heavily armored, which slowed them down. Robin leaped into action, catching his returning bird-a-rangs, all off which had hit their mark, to which several supine figures on the ground bore witness.

Starfire zoomed around the hangar, throwing star bolts and connecting occasionally with a combatant, knocking her out, while Cyborg's cannon continued to wreck havoc.

Robin immobilized several more police officers with his freezing ice disks. But while the Titans were holding them at bay, the fact remained that there were too many police officers to fight, and there was no doubt that more were on their way.

Raven and Beast Boy materialized inside the limo. The changeling shivered but said nothing. Raven knew he hated how her teleportation felt, which is to say as cold as death. Raven had once explained to him that for a split second, during the teleportation process, they actually were dead and only revived upon rematerializing. The changeling tried not to think about the philosophical implications of Raven's powers, especially when they came in handy, like they did now.

"Do you know how to drive this thing Gar?"

He nodded.

"Cy showed me. It's a lot like piloting the T-Ship."

"Good. Take us next to the stairwell door."

The changeling smiled, understanding what his mate had in mind. The limo gently hummed to life and he guided it over to the stairwell.

"Rae, are those women gonna be any help in our revolution?"

"Probably not as leaders, but we can't leave them here. And they will be useful in some ways; they actually understand how the city functions."

As the limo approached the door Robin gestured to them, he understood and approved what they were doing.

"Who's gonna run Azarath after we kick the Matriarch's butts?" He asked as pulled up to the stairwell door.

"I don't know. The people I hope. When this is over we have a date on a deserted beach with nothing but our towels and suntan lotion. I'm not staying here to rule."

Raven's dark energy enveloped the metal door and ripped it from its hinges, tossing it aside.

"I love it when you get kinky." He replied with a sexy growl.

"It was your idea lover boy." She replied as she opened the limo door.

"It was, wasn't it?" He grinned.

Raven ignored him and shouted into the stairwell.

"It's now or never ladies. Make it quick!"

As the 14 women emerged from the stairwell the police began to fire on the limo. This allowed the other 3 Titans to focus their full attention on the police officers. Robin, Starfire and Cyborg dove into the crowd, pummeling the hapless officers who continued to fire futilely at the limo, their shots bounced off the lightweight yet super strong neutronium armor that Arella had purchased for an ungodly price while the 14 terrified women clambered into the limo. Once they were safely aboard Raven shouted to Gar.

"Gar, let's get out of here!"

"Yes ma'am!" He shouted back as he guided the limo towards Cyborg and Robin, who jumped on board as well. Starfire flew behind the flying car, using it as a shield.

"Hang on! The ride might get bumpy!" The changeling warned his passengers, most of who were piled on limo's floor. Raven was crouching behind him, her arms wrapped around his neck. She gave him a peck on the cheek.

"Take us home Gar!"

The changeling opened the throttle and the limo roared out of the hanger. Starfire threw star bolts at any flying police cars that tried to cut them off. A few took shots at the limo, but the neutronium plating held up and they soon had left the police behind.

"Will they attack the Tower, Rae?" He asked as they approached what they hoped was the safe haven that they hoped Roth Tower would be.

His question was soon answered as the police, who remained in pursuit, resumed firing upon them. To their relief the Tower returned the fire, disabling several of the pursuing vehicles, which spiraled downward until met their end in a fiery crash. The rest of the police cars retreated to a safe distance.

As Beast Boy turned to his wife as he landed the limo in the Tower's shielded hangar.

"Rae, I didn't see anyone bail out of those police cars."

Raven nodded solemnly.

"They didn't Gar. They all died."

"Rae, that means …"

"The war has begun."

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

OK! Things are heating up! The Matriarchs are trying to nip the revolution in the bud, Terra and Slade are up to no good and an assassin with the initials "D.S." is joining the mayhem. Poor Raven must be at her wit's end!

I was worried that there was no interest in this story, but I might have been proven wrong. The reviews have been arriving. Never forget, fanfiction writers live for reviews. It's the currency of the world of fan fiction!

For those wondering, I'm still pondering an alternate ending for 'The Gift', where Raven and BB live happily ever after! But I want it to be good (feel free to share any ideas you might have.

And now, the mail bag!

**Yuro-Faita911** - "this is so cool! I'm glad I came across this story :D

and I love how true the Psychology in this has, People would do anything to have money in desperate times, forge the moral stuff, as long there's a good size of cash for them in the end they'll do it.

though I'm worried who's the Assassin would be, but I'm sure The titan will kick his/her ass, no sweat!"

_Has anyone been able to guess who the assassin is?_

**The Cretin** - "Well, I read 10-16 and finally got caught up. In my opinion this is a great one. Whether its as good as Wildman or Gift though can only be the opinion of the reader. As for why this story isn't as popular as The Gift I can only throw in my two cents and say that when you first wrote the first version you weren't as well known then. I think Wildman flipped on the light switch and brought new readers to your work. Personally, I think this is an excellent and enjoyable read. Hey, you have yet to write anything I didn't like and I will remain a devoted reader of yours always. BTW, you wouldn't know where I could find a zweihander would you?..."

_This rewrite of Tough Times is more of a social commentary than the original. As for a zeihander, maybe at an antiques shop?_

**primu** - "This is the first time I read your story, and I must say that I haven't read a good fictions like this for a long time. Now I have to keep checking for update! Please keep the good job ;-)"

_Thanks! If you get impatient for updates, check out my other stories. The Gift, The Wild Man's Journey and the Joker's Shadow have proven to be some of my more popular stories._

**Author Penholder** - "I thought she was told in the last chapter that the vote WAS veto proof, was she lied to? And who could this assassin be? Slade? Or maybe it's Slade. NO... I got it, it's Slade!"

_The bailout vote was veto proof, but the martial law vote was not._

**Hairul The Nightrage Beast** - "Well it'll be messy but hopefully the ending will be different from the original aka none of Rage being given back to Trigon from the original storyline. But I think next chapter instead of Raven being the vicim, Nara will be the wrong target LOL xD"

_It would be fun, but the villain they hired, he always hits the target. Well, almost._

**AkumaKami64** - "I was actually refering more to Beast acting if someone upsets Raven too much. Either way, I just know something is going to go horribly wrong. The assassin...I'd say Slade, but that may actually be too obvious a choice."

_I was tempted to use Slade/Terra, but they already have their own agenda. He is a hint: The assassin appeared in "Batman: Gotham Night". This is a collection of shorts produced by Japan's best anime studios. Some are visually stunning (It ain't Pokemon)._

**GreenRock** - "One can only imagine what Slade and Terra have in plan to destory the Titans. I can only hope for the Titans to leave Azarath as soon as possible.

1. The place sucks.

2. They'll be a lot safer on Earth."

_I did Azarath a disservice in this story (and the original). In my thinking the place has to suck, otherwise why would Raven leave?_

**FelynxTiger** - "why do people dont review this ? Why? is it really difficult just to type a few words?

anyhow

HOLY! things are just getting worst and worst than is stressing me D:

i wonder what woukd Raven will do to get out of this one!

ps. see younext and awesome-tastic chapter"

_She has her hands full, but with her friends and husband at her side she should prevail!_

**titanfan45** - "Go Raven! I wish Raven would have back handed the General Manager into next week. Beast Boy did a good job being the voice of reason."

_Of course now Raven is the boss, as Arella figured out that she was way in over her head._

**Densharr** - "Heh. General Strike. I approve, especially because I'm reading up on Winnipeg's General Strike (a pretty famous one, far as general strikes go. You should look it up).

And damn, Rae's getting defensive over BB.

I have to say, though, I'm loving Nara. Her pseudo-friendship is epic."

_Nara is the epitome of those two faced sociopaths we all know._

**bobbyneko** - "Second to last sentence in the first section (chapter 1)there is a SPELLING ERROR *gasp* (or typo, really. You can spell better than me anyways lol). Not "The expected", but "They expected."

I'm only telling you this cuz I love your fic so far ^^ and want it to be extra perfect.

...lol Calexico and Mexicali"

_Thanks for the catch. I'm really bad at proofing my own material, mostly because I'm so impatient to post it!_

_I'm always thrilled to have international readers, especially from Japan! I've become a manga reader as of late, and am a big Ken Akamatsu fan. Also love Miyazaki's anime work!_


	18. The bluff

Ok, here are standard disclaimers. I do not own, nor claim to own any rights to the Teen Titans, or any other borrowed characters. I also make no claims towards any original characters I invent for this story.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

The mood in Raven's apartment was frenetic as countless people milled around the large living room like ants in a nest, coming and going with what appeared to be random purpose, carrying papers, books and boxes. A large table had been set up in the middle of the improvised war room and it was covered with a large map of Azarath, which Starfire, the only Titan with formal military training, was carving up into several sectors using a set of color marking pens, color coding each region according to its strategic value, risk, difficulty in taking and holding as well as its civilian population. Using purple markers she highlighted the various Matriarchal residences as well as other key positions.

"This will not be easy." She remarked as the snapped the cap back onto the purple marker. "The Matriarchs are evenly spaced around the city and are surrounded by residential areas; collateral damage will be very high I am afraid."

"Any estimates on civilian casualties?" Raven asked.

The princess looked somber as she replied.

"They will be very high. At least 20%, perhaps as high as 50%. It will depend on the tactics used by the mercenaries in the employ of the Matriarchs."

"Do we know what we are up against?" Robin asked.

Raven had a sheaf of papers in hand, which were the latest intelligence reports gathered.

"They are still bringing in mercenaries, all female." She replied as she worked through the list, reading each sheet and dropping it on the table after she read it.

"5 female Gordanians"

"10 spider women from the planet Aracnida."

Raven continued reporting the news and noticed her teammates become somber.

"And on top of the 40 Tamaranian warriors already here, 200 more have arrived."

"Dude! 240 Starfires?"

Starfire turned to Beast Boy.

"The warriors lack my ability to conjure starbolts and eye beams, which is something that only my sister and I can do. They can fly and have super human strength, but that is the limit of their powers."

"I don't like those odds." Cyborg added.

"I will attempt to contact them and order them to not serve the Matriarchs."

"Will they obey you?" Robin asked.

Starfire crossed her arms and looked troubled.

"If they are loyal to the crown they will."

"And if they are not? They are mercenaries after all." Raven asked.

"Even factoring that in, the probability of treachery is low, but not trivial."

Raven looked around the table at her friends' grim yet determined faces. Other than the Tower's security forces the five of them were the only forces for the rebels, at least the only ones that counted. While the masses had cheered her the day before the bitter truth was that they were soft and weak. They were unarmed and would be easily mowed down by the mercenaries. Raven was not a Field Marshall, but she quickly recognized that the odds were heavily stacked against them.

"How will you contact the Tamaranians Starfire?"

"I will slip out under the cover of darkness. Cyborg has prepared a stealth outfit that should conceal me while I fly to the Tamaranian barracks. There I will make my case to the mercenaries."

"Won't they be forfeiting some serious moolah if the defect to our camp?" Cyborg asked.

Starfire looked confused for a moment until she caught on to the tin man's oddly worded question.

"I will promise to double their pay from the Royal treasury. Hopefully that will be enough to persuade them to break their contract."

It was already twilight outside and Raven suppressed a yawn. Unlike the others she had not slept since the day before and it was catching up with her, which Robin noticed.

"You need to get some sleep Raven, you too Beast Boy, you've hardly slept at all."

The changeling nodded as he took Raven's hand.

"C'mon Rae, let's get some shut eye." He yawned.

The sorceress nodded her agreement.

"OK, but just for a few hours."

They retreated to their room without saying good night to the others. As soon as the door closed Robin spoke up.

"She looks awful. The last time she looked like this was …"

"…when she became the portal." Cyborg completed the sentence for him.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

The bedroom was dark as the blast shields covered the windows, giving the spacious room the feeling of a bunker, which is what it was at the moment. Raven trudged into the room. She removed her cape and dropped it on the floor before kicking off her signature blue boots. She stood still; facing away from her husband of only a few days and suddenly fell to her knees. Beast Boy ran to her side, unable to conceal the alarm in his voice.

"Rae! Are you OK?" He asked as he wrapped his arms around her.

Raven didn't acknowledge his gesture and stared vacantly into the darkness.

"What have I done Gar? I've brought ruin to my people."

The changeling had no words to comfort her.

"At the monastery there was a monk, he was a fortune teller, a very skilled one in fact. He had a nickname for me: The Apostle of Calamity. He said I would bring great suffering to the world … and he was right. I thought I had dodged that bullet when we overcame my … Trigon. But now look at what I've done. We have a civil war on our hands … and it's my fault." She sniffled. "It's always my fault."

Beast Boy ran his fingers through her hair, in a futile attempt to soothe her.

"It's not your fault Rae; the people have had it with the Matriarchs."

"I have to stop this Gar; I can't let this happen, the bloodshed." She deadpanned. "What was I thinking? This isn't about beating a villain and turning him over to the police. That's so … simple. That's all in black and white … this on the other hand … this is shades of gray … with no clear answer."

Raven took a deep breath and composed herself.

"I'm an idiot Gar, a fool. Did I really think it would be that easy? That if we stood up to the Matriarchs that they would back down? The civilians, they've lived sheltered lives for generations, they're soft. They can't protect themselves. How am I supposed to protect them?"

Beat Boy kissed gently on her forehead.

"Give them credit Rae; they aren't as useless as you think."

She shook her head.

"No, they can't defend themselves. They're just ordinary people. If they fight … they'll be slaughtered. And if we fight for them … you heard what Starfire said. Fighting is … hopeless."

"Then maybe we shouldn't fight?"

She nodded.

"I'm going to surrender myself tomorrow Gar, in exchange for an end to hostilities."

"That's not what I meant Rae!"

Raven looked him in the eyes.

"What do you mean?"

"The supreme art of war is to subdue the enemy without fighting."

"Sun Tzu?" She asked. "When did you read 'The Art of War'? And why?"

"Yeah." He replied. "Robin made me read it once. It's kind of cool. Now I know where Clash of the Planets got all its plot ideas …"

"Gar, how cano we subdue the enemy without fighting?"

He paused while thinking. Raven knew that most people thought he was a simpleton, a goofball who told bad jokes. But she knew he was cunning and clever, and that the goofball mask was just that, a mask.

"We bluff!"

"We bluff? About what?"

"You're the Apostle of Calamity, right?"

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Terra sat with Slade, hiding amongst the boulders that lay alongside the access road that led to Azarath. They had been there for about 20 minutes and Terra wasn't sure what he was waiting for. The one eyed villain seemed to be calm and relaxed, while Terra was the opposite, she was itching to do something … anything besides sitting out in the hot sun waiting for who knows what. They sat in silence until the geomancer could stand it no longer.

"What are we waiting for Slade? How about you share the plan with me?"

Unfazed, he calmly replied.

"We're waiting for a bus."

Terra stared dumbfounded at him.

"We're waiting for a bus? Are you nuts?"

Slade chuckled.

"I have disguises for us Terra. A new generation of holorings that will completely hide our true identities, which is fortunate as there is a hefty prize on your head in the floating city." He replied in his monotone with the slight hint of contempt that he often inserted into his speech.

"OK, I get the disguises, but where does the bus fit in?"

"Don't you think that the border guards might be suspicious if we just appear out of nowhere? There is a bus, a flying bus, the runs between Azarath and nearby Salamandron."

Slade pointed at a distant structure that looked like a giant awning that was mobbed with refugees trying to leave the city. It was hard to tell how many were crowded around the simple depot, but Terra estimated the crowd to be several thousand strong, and there was a steady flow of people fleeing the city, making the mobbed scene even worse.

"The busses are running once per hour. When the next one arrives, which should be in 5 more minutes the guards will assume that we arrived on it."

"That's nice, but how do we get in? Isn't the border closed because of the martial law?"

Slade handed Terra her holoring. After she slipped it one her appearance changed completely, not only had her hair and skin color changed, but here face looked entirely different. Slade skipped his own ring on and … changed into woman.

"We're mercenaries from Earth. The Matriarchs have offered generous payment to anyone who will help them defeat the Titans. It's a perfect opportunity Terra, we get to eliminate them, it's perfectly legal and we'll even get paid to do it. What is there to not like about it?"

"Remember Slade, BB doesn't get hurt!"

"I can't guarantee that Terra. Even if we don't kill him, some other mercenary might."

"I won't allow that to happen."

"Sometimes things are out of our control. We can either fight it in futility, or use the situation to our advantage."

Before Terra could protest the "bus" arrived on schedule. It looked more like an airliner without wings; a huge silver cylinder that looked like it could carry hundreds of passengers. It silently floated down to the simple terminal. As soon as it stopped the hatches opened and no one disembarked as it was empty. The refugees began to jostle to get their families on board and a few fights even broke out.

"Everyone calm down!" The pilot shouted. "Another bus will be here in 20 minutes."

Terra and Slade made their way to the bridge, which was the only entry way to Azarath as the city was covered in a powerful force field dome to enforce the declared martial law. They walked without rushing and eventually reached the guard station. A grumpy looking guard intercepted them before they crossed the bridge.

"The city is closed." She barked at them.

Slade produced the flyer inviting mercenaries and bounty hunters to Azarath. The guard didn't seem impressed.

"Your papers, please."

Again Slade, still disguised as a formidable Amazon of a woman, presented the forged paperwork to the guard, who examined it with suspicion. After what felt like an eternity she returned the papers to Slade.

"Everything appears to be in order. Proceed to the next guard station, they will brief you there and assign you to a precinct."

Slade and Terra nodded and crossed the bridge. As promised the next guard prepared to assign them to their group. While she tapped away at her keyboard, an official Matriarch Council limousine pulled up and was attended to by another guard, which did not go unnoticed by Slade and Terra. They watched as the driver rolled down her window and handed papers to the guard.

"You mean to tell me the Matriarchs sent an official limo to Salamandron to collect a mercenary … and it's … a man?"

"Go figure." The driver replied. "I was kinda blown away by this too."

The border guard almost appeared to be livid.

"I want to see this hired gun!"

A dark window in the passenger compartment rolled down, exposing the honored "guest".

Slade elbowed Terra and pointed at the passenger. Terra stifled a gasp.

"Is it really him Slade?"

Slade nodded.

"It is. We have some serious competition Terra."

He paused.

"Deadshot has come to town."

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Starfire cautiously peered inside "the gazebo" and was relieved to see her friends sleeping. They looked peaceful and relaxed and she felt bad about having to wake them, but she knew it had to be done.

"Friends, it will be dawn in one more hour. Please do the waking up."

Raven cracked an eye open, examining their uninvited alarm clock. She then gasped as she sat up.

"Starfire! What happened to you?"

"Do not concern yourself Raven, I am OK."

Raven grabbed the Princess by her arms and examined her. She was covered on bruises, cuts and scratches and had dry blood on all over her body.

"I take it that the mercenaries didn't accept your offer."

Starfire smiled as she shook her head.

"They have pledged their allegiance to me. I was victorious."

"You don't look victorious; you look like you had a wrestling match with The Beast. What happened?"

Beast Boy continued snoozing, oblivious to the conversation taking place.

"As we were leaving the barracks we were ambushed by other mercenaries. It was a most stimulating battle. We did the kicking of the butt."

Raven rewarded the orange Titan with a small smile.

"If you look this bad, I can only imagine how bad they look."

Starfire suddenly looked embarrassed.

"Raven, you understand that these are warriors of Tamaran. They did more than kick the butt."

Raven dropped her head as she understood what Starfire was implying.

"How many dead?"

"Just three."

"That's a relief, so only three of the enemy were killed."

Starfire shook her head.

"Three Tamaranians are dead."

Raven allowed a look of astonishment to slip past her emotionless mask.

"How many of the enemy?"

Starfire sighed.

"All of them. We would have spared them had they retreated, but they did not. They fought in a dishonorable and cowardly manner. I am sorry Raven, but we are warriors and this is a war."

Raven returned her sigh.

"It was to be expected. What did Robin have to say?"

"He is being the morose. He has not spoken to me since he found out."

Raven turned back to the bed and gave her mate a vigorous shaking. The green young man finally sat up.

"Gar, did you hear what she said?"

"I think I did." He replied in a sleepy voice. "So how many were killed?" He asked in an apprehensive voice.

"Over 400 mercenaries."

"The Matriarchs must be panicking right now." He commented. "Rae, this might be the right time to do what we talked about." He added as he hopped off the bed and slipped his socks and shoes on.

Raven nodded as she slipped her cape on.

"Friends, of what do you speak?"

"You'll see." Raven replied as they exited their bedroom. The war room was still a whirlwind of activity and was crawling with female Tamaranian warriors, who all focused on Raven as the trio entered the room. Raven walked past them to a communications console where Arella was standing, looking worried.

"They are preparing to counterattack Raven."

"I would expect nothing less." She replied and she keyed in the channel for the Hall of Matriarchs. The screen shimmered to life and it was Nara who appeared on it.

"Raven, what were you thinking? The council in an uproar over your sneak attack."

"That is what I am calling about Nara. It's time to put an end to this."

The young Matriarch put her hands together in prayerful like gesture.

"You are going to surrender! Thank the gods Raven! And I have good news for you! If you publicly retract your position the Council will grant you a full pardon."

Raven replied in a dead pan monotone.

"It is my understanding that only the Head Matriarch can grant pardons."

Nara smiled nervously while fidgeting.

"That is true Raven, but since you went rogue on the council, we have assumed your authority, which we will gladly return to you if …"

"I kiss your butt."

Nara frowned.

"You always had a way with words Raven. But we aren't children anymore, and we aren't playing games. We're Matriarchs and it's about time you act like one!"

Raven's eyes began to glow a crimson red.

"I am sick of hearing that."

Nara smirked at her childhood friend.

"You know you can't win Raven, even after your little coup you're still hopelessly outnumbered …"

Nara stopped midsentence and stifled a shriek, as Raven's eyes had now split into 2 demonic pairs.

"Did you ever wonder where I got my powers from Nara?"

The young Matriarch swallowed hard as she stared in fear, still unable to believe what she was seeing.

"You're a demoness Raven?" She stammered.

"And not just any demoness." The gray Titan replied. "Do you have any idea of who my father is?"

Nara remembered well that terrible day when Azarath was destroyed.

"No, it's impossible! It can't be!"

Raven had grown to over 10 feet tall and dark tendrils emerged from under her cape.

"Did you ever wonder how I was able to defeat Trigon? He was my father Nara."

Nara continued to stare speechless, as she remained consumed by the horror of her realization.

"Raven, please say it isn't true!"

"I restored Azarath Nara, and I can destroy it again. I am my father's daughter."

"You wouldn't! What about the people? It would be the end of our race."

Raven grinned, revealing her now serrated teeth.

"Enough have escaped already. But you won't! Not unless you surrender to me!" Her guttural voice echoed throughout the room.

No longer able to hide the fear in her voice, Nara began to plead.

"How will I convince the council Raven, they'll never believe me?"

As Nara spoke the ground began to shake, mildly at first, but it soon became violent. The tower began to sway as the temblor appeared to continue without end. Finally, after what felt like an eternity, it stopped.

"Consider that my calling card Nara. And I have more where that came from."

Nara's arrogant expression was gone.

"I will let the council know your demands Raven. It might take some time …"

"You have four hours." Raven, now back in her normal form, replied in her monotone. She then pressed a button on the console, severing the video link with Nara.

And collapsed, as Beast Boy caught her.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

A little cliffhanger! And sorry to keep you waiting, faithful readers.

And now it's time for the mail bag.

**bordom kills** - "hey dude stories coming along great i cant wait for your next update"

_Thanks! I had some writer's block this week._

**GreenRock** - "I like how you've shrouded this assassain in a cloak of mystery; not letting on anything too obvious that gives their identity away. Whoever this D.S. is probably shouldn't mess with the Titans. If their previous track record is anything to go by, he may end up receiving his just desserts.

Good that the review count is picking up. These kind of things take time. :D "

_The review count is doing better (Thanks everyone). I still haven't thought of an alternate ending for the gift, which is still clobbering this story (chapter hits) on a daily basis. Maybe it does pay to kill Raven?_

**titanfan45** - "Great first battle scene! I'm not having any luck figuring out who "D.S' is but I would think that will be revealed in good time."

_If you don't have it, rent Batman: Gotham Knight. Deadshot makes an appearance in the final short._

**mjlover0021** - "I love your fic. This fic popped up at the right time.

P.S. Absolutely love what you have done to make everything around everybody seem really horrible."

_I prefer to leave the fluffy stories to other writers. The Chromatically Challenged Couple are far more interesting (and passionate) when they face adversity._

**Author Penholder** - "Things are heating up now and I love it! I also know who the assassin is now. As soon as you started describing how he was 'caring' for his weapons, I was like, Ah Ha!"

_Deadshot is not as well known as other DC villains, but he's a good one._

**Densharr** - "DEADSHOT. Awesome.

Can't wait to see how useful the Council proves - they're pretty much pencil pushers. But even the pencil pushers have a role in running society, and it's bigger than most people think."

_The pencil pushers will have a role to play still._

**wolfenstien** - "Great stuff as usual dude. And using Dead Shot as the assassin rather than Slade, great idea. Don't forget to put Raven Roth on the bullet... :D"

_Thanks for the tip. I will remember that._

**FeynxTiger** - "woohoo back to fight crime!, i like where they're carry the things especially raven and bb , though this mystery villian sounds familiar see u next ch"

_I wonder if Raven's bluff will work?_

**AkumaKami64 **- "It's Death Shot, knew that as soon as I saw the initials. Can you have BB turn into a Trex when an Azarathian insults him at least once?"

_Or maybe the Beast?_

**Hairul The Nightrage Beast** - "Haha time for some anarchy and carnage in Azarath. I can see Azarath in ruins due to the anarchy with the revolution kicked in high gear, Matriarchs to the lions and also the dangerous 3rd party with Slade, Terra and the unknown assassin D.S.

Anyways for the alternate ending of The Gift I think, the happy ending would be prolly BB asking Rae to transfer 50% of the course to him and both of em can die happy I think, bittersweet ending and Coraline would be an orphaned although she's gonna be adoptd by Nightwing and Starfire as an adoptive daughter."

_I'll admit that I'm still at a loss for an alternate ending for the Gift. Hopefully something good will come to mind. I won't write it unless it's good._


	19. THe Truce

Ok, here are standard disclaimers. I do not own, nor claim to own any rights to the Teen Titans, or any other borrowed characters. I also make no claims towards any original characters I invent for this story.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Slade and Terra were led into a large room, which was teeming with mercenaries, soldiers of fortune, bounty hunters and other assorted low life and scumbags. There were over 300 individuals assembled and as far as Slade could tell Deadshot was the only man in the group, which already broken up into cliques and smaller groups, which were all engaged in lively conversation. The disguised Earthlings made their way to the infamous marksman, who stood alone as he studied the assembly, not looking impressed at all. As they plowed through the crowd they eavesdropped on the conversations. It was clear that they had no idea of why they had been hired or what the target was.

As Slade and Terra approached him he turned in their direction and smiled.

"If it isn't Deathstroke the Terminator? I have to complement you on your costume Slade, I almost didn't recognize you."

"It was my gait, wasn't it Floyd?" Slade responded in his disguised female voice.

"It was, but don't feel bad Slade, you actually are convincing as a woman. And speaking of which, who is your companion?"

Slade smiled at Deadshot before dropping the fake voice and replying in his signature monotone.

"She is an associate who will remain anonymous, Floyd."

"I see. So tell me Slade, who is the target? They refused to tell me but offered me $10,000,000 in gold coins to eliminate this mysterious person."

"Let's just say that the target involves … Titans."

Deadshot grinned from ear to ear.

"You mean those prepubescent children from Jump City?"

"They aren't children anymore, Deadshot." Terra growled. "And whatever you do, don't you dare hurt Beast Boy. If you do, you will answer to me."

Deadshot chuckled.

"I am afraid that I am bound by my code. And that code stipulates that a contract cannot be broken. Surely you can understand that … right Miss Markov?"

Terra glared at the sharpshooter as a waiter walked by with a tray of snacks. Deadshot plucked a piece of cheese on a toothpick and consumed it immediately, while an Azarathian wasp began to pester the geomancer.

"What makes you think you can take on the Titans?" Terra snarled at him while attempting to shoo away the annoying alien wasp, which was threatening her with its dual stingers.

Deadshot flicked his wrist and the toothpick flew, hitting the wasp in the abdomen, killing it instantly. Terra stared wide eyed as the dead insect, still impaled by the toothpick, fell to the ground.

"Because I never miss my target, Miss Markov, never."

Terra smirked as she replied.

"You didn't take down the Bat."

Deadshot did not betray the indignation he was feeling.

"The Dark Knight was lucky that time."

"That's what everyone who's failed to take him down says." Slade taunted him. "But don't feel bad Floyd, I couldn't put him away either."

"SILENCE!" A commanding female voice resonated across the room.

The assembly turned towards a dais at the end of the large hall. A fierce looking woman stood on it. She looked to be at least 2 meters tall, had long blond hair and was dressed in lightweight armor that clearly had been used in many battles. Within seconds the hall fell silent.

"My name is Ragithra and I am chief of security for Azarathian Council of Matriarchs, who are your employers."

She paused before continuing.

"The reason you are here is that there is an insurrection against the Council that is led by outsiders from a backwater world called 'Earth'. Your job is to eliminate these outsiders. Without them, the insurrection will fail."

Ragithra turned to a large projector screen behind her with a remote control in her hand, which she clicked. A picture of Raven appeared on the screen.

"This is their leader. Her name is Raven Roth and she is a Matriarch, which also means that she is a traitor. She has tremendous powers and I must warn you that you will only get a single chance to kill her, and that will have to be by surprise. She has set up her headquarters in Roth Tower and it will be difficult to reach her there. We will assist you by creating situations that will draw her out of the Tower. Again let me remind you that you will only get once chance to finish her, if you fail you will probably meet a certain death at her hands. The bounty on Raven is 10,000 gold coins. And we want her dead, let that be understood!"

The warrior paused before clicking on her remote control. Beast Boy's image appeared.

"While Raven is the primary target, we also have bounties on the other members of her team. This green male is her mate and his name is Garfield Roth, but he goes by the alias of 'Beast Boy'. He is a changeling and is the second target. His bounty is 5,000 gold coins. Taking him down first could possibly unnerve Raven, making her an easier target. On the other hand she might tear you to shreds while you're still alive. The choice is yours."

She advanced to the next image.

"This is Princess Koriand'r of Tamaran. Do not target her as we do not wish to incur the wrath of the Tamaranian Empire. Also beware that she has 120 Tamaranian warriors at her disposal. If she dies as a result of collateral damage we will apologize to the Tamaranians, but for the record there is no bounty on her head."

She clicked the remote control yet again. This time Robin and Cyborg appeared.

"These two males are deadly. The masked one is a supremely skilled martial artist while the other one has cybernetic and mechanical implants. Each has a 1,000 gold coin bounty."

She advanced the projector to display a list of conditions.

"There are a few rules."

"1 – Collateral damage will be tolerated but if any harm befalls a Matriarch by your fault you will not leave Azarath alive, as a 5,000 gold coin bounty will be placed on you."

"2 – Weapons of mass destruction are not be allowed. We won't save Azarath by destroying it."

"3 – You must deliver a corpse to collect the bounty. If we cannot positively identify the body you will not be paid. Also, any attempt at deception will be punished by death, so don't even think of producing a false corpse disguised to look like any of them."

"4 – You must also …"

Ragithra was interrupted by a powerful temblor which shook the hall and the large building it was in. Everyone in the assembly began to murmur in worried tones, recalling that Azarath was a floating city, a city that floated above a bottomless void. Terra's eyes grew wide.

"What is it Terra? What happened?" Slade whispered in her ear.

Terra shook her head in disbelief.

"It was Raven." She whispered back. "I could feel her dark energy permeating through the bedrock the city is built upon. She shook the entire city."

"Her powers have grown even more than I thought." Slade replied.

"This could be a problem." He added.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Beast Boy caught Raven as she fell unconscious. To the surprise of his teammates he did not appear to be concerned as he picked Raven up bridal style, with her head hanging back and her arms dangling limply at her sides. He looked up at his teammates and noticed their worried expressions.

"Raven's OK, she told me that it would take all of her power to shake Azarath and that she would faint. She just needs some rest."

Without another world he turned and headed off to their room, still carrying Raven's limp body. Starfire rushed after him, following him into the room and up to the huge bed.

"Star, would you remove her cape?"

The Princess undid the clasp that Raven used to faster her cape and draped it over a nearby chair. She then ran back to Beast Boy's side and removed her boots and her jeweled belt. The changeling then delicately deposited her on the bed, covering her up with a blanket.

"Are you certain that she is unharmed?"

He nodded.

"She's just as she said she would be. Excuse me Star." He replied as he picked up the phone.

"Is this the kitchen? This is Mr. ... Roth. I need to order a meal for Mrs. Roth … just bring what she had for dinner yesterday … and bring it in 3 hours … yes that will be fine … no, no one else needs a meal at this time … thank you."

As he hung up the phone he turned to the princess.

"She said to wake her after 3 hours, if she didn't wake up first. She also said that she would need to eat then."

Starfire looked at Raven with a worried expression.

"She's gonna be fine Star." He added as he took the Tamaranian's hand. "But she needs to rest, c'mon, let's go."

Starfire nodded and they left the room, closing the door behind them. Robin and Cyborg were waiting outside the room.

"Friend Raven is OK, but she needs to rest for 3 hours."

Robin acknowledged Starfire with a nod.

"Beast Boy, what happened?"

The changeling grinned.

"We're bluffing the Council."

"I sure hope so. Did Raven really cause that earth … uh Azarathquake?"

"Yeah, she did, it took a lot out of her though. She's resting now. Maybe you guys should go rest too. Things might get interesting in a few hours."

"Good idea Beast Boy." Robin agreed. "You and Cyborg keep watch for the first 90 minutes and after that Starfire and I will relieve you. Wake us immediately if anything even seems remotely wrong. Understood?"

"We gotcha, now go get some rest." Cyborg replied.

As soon as Robin and Starfire retreated to their rooms the changeling and the tin man went to the console in the living room. There were a few members of the Roth Tower security detail still there and one of them, a young woman named Nevanta approached them.

"You might wish to check video feed #27."

Beast Boy thanked the woman and switched the monitor to the suggested video feed. It showed the bridge between the city and the mainland, which was mobbed by an exodus of Azarathians who were fleeing the city with little more than the clothes on their backs. The bus depot was visible in the distance and was completely mobbed with people.

"We think that there are already 50,000 people at the depot. There's a bus arriving every 5 minutes, 6000 people per hour. There are rumors that Salamandron might start turning refugees away if this continues." Nevanta commented from her improvised desk in the room.

"I think she's got the watch covered." Cyborg whispered to the changeling. "Let's go to the kitchen and I'll make us something to eat."

"They don't have tofu in Azarath."

"Don't sweat it grass stain, we'll figure something out."

The pair retreated to the kitchen.

"I could just phone the Tower kitchen and they could bring us something. Their veggie soup is pretty good."

Cyborg nodded.

"Actually, I just wanted to talk with you in private."

Beast Boy looked nonplussed.

"Talk about what?"

Cyborg paused, as if weighing his words carefully. After a long pause he spoke up.

"So what's it like?"

"What's what like?"

"You know … that." Cyborg replied, gesturing with his mechanical hands. Beast Boy noticed that Cyborg was beginning to blush.

"No, I don't know. What are you talking about Cy?"

Cyborg grunted with exasperation.

"You've been married for a week grass stain!"

The changeling smiled.

"Oh, that! Being married is pretty nice. I guess it would be even nicer if we were back home and not stuck in this crazy alien civil war that …"

"That's not what I meant, man."

Beast Boy sighed his displeasure.

"Then why don't you just ask me tin man?"

Cyborg glared at him.

"Man you are so clueless … fine, I'll get to the point … what's it like to get laid?"

Beast Boy went bug eyed.

"WHAT!"

"You heard me grass stain. You're the first one. Robin and I, we're still … you know."

"What kind of question is that? Raven's my wife, not some floozy I had a one night stand with."

Cyborg was barely able to hide his disappointment. Meanwhile Beast Boy switched gears.

"Are you serious Cy, are you still a virgin? I'm not saying there's anything wrong with that …"

"In case you haven't noticed, the only girlfriend I ever had as a half robot lived 5000 years ago, and we only made it to first base."

The changeling's ears drooped.

"I'm sorry Cy, I know you miss Sarasim. Do you ever wish we had left you there?"

Cyborg shook his head.

"I wouldn't have lasted more than a few months. There was nowhere to recharge. I had no spare parts; you saw what my hand looked like when I came back. Without spare parts all it would have taken was a single major subsystem failure and I would have died. I know she didn't understand, she thought that my tech was just armor, but …"

Beast Boy looked his friend in the eyes.

"But?"

"I loved her B, I really did."

"She was special, huh?"

"Special? She was incredible! I mean she was smart and brave. She had a great heart and could she fight! She was Titan material, B."

"Was she pretty?"

"You have no idea man. I mean, she was gorgeous. I don't know what she saw in pile of tech scrap like me…"

Beast Boy smiled.

"I think I know."

Cyborg sighed.

"It doesn't matter. She died 5,000 years ago and probably married some other guy. We were never meant to be together. At least you and Raven found each other."

"Dude! Give yourself some credit! You'll find someone, you'll see."

Cyborg rubbed his chin.

"I don't know man. She was like the only girl who ever looked beyond my tech and could see the real me."

"You gotta be patient Cy. Your girl is out there somewhere, you gotta believe it."

Cyborg gave his friend a weak smile.

"I guess you're right."

Beast Boy laughed

"Of course I am." He said as he leaned close to his friend.

"Cy, between you and me … getting laid … it's awesome."

"Really? C'mon then! Spill the beans! What was it like?" Cyborg asked expectantly.

Beast Boy laughed.

"I'm not telling you dude! If I did, Raven would kill me … or worse … she'd make me be celibate."

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Panic was ensuing in the Hall of Matriarchs, as the representatives from each house, except the House of Roth, began to arrive for the emergency meeting. The Matriarchs, both young and old, steadily filed into the great hall, and the sense of fear was palpable in the air. The temblor had occurred just three hours before and they had just one hour left to give Raven their response.

Meanwhile, a private meeting between the most influential Matriarchs was taking place in the office that was reserved for the Head Matriarch, who for obvious reasons was not present. Mayra had assumed the leadership role and was seated behind the large ornate wooden desk. Several other women, some young, some not so young, were assembled in the room and all had grave expressions on their faces.

"Are you certain of this Nara? Raven is Trigon's daughter? How can that even be possible?" A matronly woman asked.

Nara hit the playback button and the conversation with Raven was replayed on a screen that was embedded into a wall. Before their shocked eyes Raven performed her demonic transformation. Most of the women looked away, some murmuring while others rubbed their temples.

"Well, now we know why Arella sent her off to the monastery." Mayra sighed.

"So what do we do?" Another woman asked. The fear was clear in her voice. "Will she really destroy Azarath?"

"It's hard to say. For now all we know is that Raven is a monster, and a very dangerous monster."

"Can we defeat her?" A younger woman asked.

"Were we able to defeat Trigon?" Mayra asked before pausing. They all knew the answer and no one mentioned it.

"I'm afraid we have no choice. We will submit to her, but it will be a conditional surrender, we won't turn Azarath over to the rabble, at least not completely."

The senior Matriarchs began to murmur to each other, until another young woman spoke up.

"But that will mean we will be expected to bear the financial burden. We'll have to pay taxes Mayra; the houses haven't paid taxes in over 5,000 years."

Mayra acknowledged her with a nod.

"I know, but if she destroys Azarath there won't be any Houses left to be tax exempt."

"If she destroys Azarath." Nara harrumphed.

Mayra turned to the young Matriarch.

"She was your childhood friend Nara. Do you think she would do such a thing?"

Nara paused as she pondered the question for a whole minute. Her thoughts raced though her childhood memories of Raven, many of them troubling, especially now that her heritage was no longer a secret.

"I'm not certain, but I think she would. She was very … unstable … in her youth … she had a horrible temper and was always having trouble controlling her anger…"

"Which isn't surprising now that we know she's a demon." Mayra interrupted. "I move that we call a cease fire and begin negotiating with Raven. All in favor?"

The ayes echoed throughout the room. There were no dissenters.

"Very well, we will present this motion to the Council."

"What about the mercenaries?" Nara asked.

Mayra made dismissive wave with her hand.

"You're in charge of security Nara. Pay them off and send them home immediately. Raven won't take us seriously until they have left."

"Very well, I'll take care of that right away."

Nara rushed out of the office, walking quickly down the sumptuous hallway, which was lined in the finest woods and plushest rugs that money could buy. She walked past portraits of long dead Matriarchs, the greatest ones in Azarath's history and stopped in front of a very ancient one. It was that of a Matriarch named Jezel. She had won Azarath's independence from Salamandron thousands of years ago and founded the Council of Matriarchs, a council which had led Azarath to great power and wealth. And now they were going to throw away all those hard earned gains that had taken millennia to accumulate. Confound Raven and her egalitarian ideals!

Nara furrowed her brow. She couldn't allow that to happen. Yes, Raven, her childhood friend was a mighty demoness. But she was also half human, half Earthling; And Nara remembered learning in school that humans, the natives of Earth, were inferior. But they were also very cunning.

Nara resumed her pace and was soon in her own office. She picked up a handset and pressed a few buttons.

"Ragithra, it's Nara. I have instructions from the council. Pay the mercenaries their retention fees and send them back where they came from …"

Nara paused as she pondered her next move. Suddenly a look of steely determination covered her face.

"Except for the 3 Earthlings. Bring them to my office … discretely."

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

And we have another chapter! It sure sounds like Nara is going to set up her childhood friend. But the powerful didn't get that way by being merciful.

And now, it's mail bag time!

**NamiUchiha1313** - "Noooo Im at the end of the most recent chapter! It was Awesome as usual and I expect none less! PLZ MAKE MORE! :D"

_Thanks! The story factory remains open!_

**gamehead64** - "awesome bluff I found it odd that no one knew she was half demon. and also THE BEAST is cool and all but I'm surprised that nobody thought of a chimera form for BB seeing is how he has been swapping spit with a half-demon. it can be like a hulk to savage hulk change cause think about it all them animals in his head sharing one thought"

_Raven does have a track record of keeping that a secret (her heritage)_

**The Cretin** - "Read chaps 17-18 today. They both rocked. The matriarchs and Arella in particular don't seem to understand how tough they're making this for Rae do they? Hopefully, they'll wisen up. Once again, love how Star is standing resolute at Raven's side. As for the sword, I compared prices. It'd be cheaper to get it over the net. That's three down, so many more to go."

_I don't think they are too concerned about Raven's feelings right now. All they want to do is preserve the status quo for as long as possible._

**Hairul The Nightrage Beast** - "lol did Nara shat on her pants when Raven revealed to her that Trigon was her father? LOL Well it's true that Rae saved Azarath, she too can destroy it in an instant."

_Actually, Nara might be the gutsiest Matriarch in the council._

**GreenRock** - "Mmmm, nothing like a nice little war in order to spice things up a little. It's going to be interesting to see where DeadShot will appear in this story and what Slade has planned. I know these aren't original villains, but the way you made Hiromi incredibly villainous in The Gift, I know that you have the capabilities to make Slade's actions just as despicable."

_I hope you enjoyed Slade's chat with Deadshot. _

**Primu** - "Ahhh can't wait for more action !"

_Patience grasshopper, it's coming._

**titanfan45** - "At last Raven reveals what she's hidden from everyone except the Titans. She is definitely one not to be trifled with. I'll bet that even Arella is stunned."

_They fell for her bluff. But victory is hardly at hand._

**AkumaKami64** - "Hmm, Beast or Trex...I think a Trex would be scarier at first, the Beast gets really scary after he goes to work. Nice bluff though, you managed to make BB sound like a genius without making him OOC in the slightest. My theory is that the Matriarchs act like they'll give up to get Raven lined up for deathshot, then Terra and Slade probably mess that up. Hmm, BB or Raven is going to die, am I right?"

_You were close, it's Nara who is setting them up. Will someone die? Yes! Who? I'm not telling!_

"(sighs) I really wish guys like you did dark/evil BB stories, those would be great. No offense, I love your work, but it gets lonely knowing you're one of the few doing a certain kind of stories. Oh Well! Just means I get to monopolize it for the time being."

_That could be interesting. Evil BB... EVIL!_

**FelynxTiger** - "oh this going great the limits that Raven is taking are going to by difficult , how would the enemy respond"

_Now you know!_

**hot dog285** -"intereting strategy, however, this could turn out to nothelp them, persoaly, I think that an assassin would be a safer bet, turn deadshot and you may b able to do quite a bit if he is skilled enough, and since he is one of the fewnamed characters in the story, I dbout he isa pushover. turn him covertly, cnvince him to change sides. Once that happens, use him as a spy, have him sabotoge the enemies weapons, assassinate their commaders, slowly working the enemy into being paranoid, so long as he is not caught, he could do this in definitly "

_A little spoiler: Deadshot is going to kill someone._


	20. Author's note

Author's note:

Just a note to let you know that Reimagined has been placed on the back burner again. I will finish it, I promise, at a later date.

Meanwhile I have started a new story in the new Young Justice section. Since we won't be getting new Teen Titans episodes (contrary to Greg Cipes' promises) I figured that the Titans should meet their replacements (actually, the new show has been growing on me). So I have started a new crossover story called "Birds of a Feather Flock Together?" where the two groups meet each other, including both Robins.


	21. Back from Hiatus

Ok, here are standard disclaimers. I do not own, nor claim to own any rights to the Teen Titans, or any other borrowed characters. I also make no claims towards any original characters I invent for this story.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

"Raven, wake up."

The gray sorceress slowly opened her eyes as the cobwebs of her deep sleep slowly vanished. As the world around her came into focus she saw his emerald orbs looking down at her. She smiled softly at him.

"Is it time already?" She mumbled.

"It's been three hours and your meal arrived. I can keep it warm if you want to sleep some more."

She shook her head.

"No, I need to get up." She replied as she sat up in the bed. Beast Boy placed a tray with legs over her lap and she began to eat immediately, scarfing down the tray's contents.

"You weren't joking when you said you'd be really hungry. How do you feel?"

"Tired." She replied between mouthfuls. "But I already feel better. I had forgotten how much I like Azarathian food.

"It looks like Earth food to me."

"I know, but it's different. This looks like rice, but it's not. And the sauce, I've never tasted anything like it on Earth. The meat looks like chicken, but it's a local bird, it has a richer taste than chicken …"

Raven then noticed the stern look on her mate's face.

"Sorry, I know you promised to never get on my case for eating meat and that I wouldn't talk about it with you."

"You know how I feel about it." He replied.

"Yes, to you it's like I'm eating a baby. I respect that you feel that way Gar, you know that."

"And I respect your choice as well."

Raven decided to change the subject.

"So what happened while I was asleep?"

Beast Boy pulled up a chair and sat down.

"Well, for starters about half the town ran away, you should see what the bus depot looks like. There're multiple busses flying out every few minutes. Salamandron closed its doors to refugees but other places are still welcoming refugees. Cyborg says that at this pace the city will be deserted in a few hours."

"What about the Matriarchs, have they tried to contact us?"

He nodded. Your pal Nara just called and said that they would like to negotiate and that they would call back in two more hours to discuss terms. She said that they've also called for a cease fire. Roth Security checked it out and it's true. The Chamber of Deputies isn't surrounded anymore and they're released everyone they arrested."

Raven beamed at her green husband.

"We won Gar, we did it. And almost no one got hurt." She exclaimed in a relieved voice as she leaned back into the mountain of pillows behind her. Beast Boy removed the now empty tray.

"So what do we do now Rae? We have two hours to kill before they call back."

"I think we should celebrate." She replied in her monotone.

The changeling walked to the door.

"I'll tell the others to get a party ready. Star's gonna love …"

The green Titan found himself enveloped in Raven's chilly dark energy and gently floated back to the bed, where she gently deposited him next to her. She then gestured with her hand and the sound of the door being locked was heard.

"I had something else in mind Gar, at least for right now." She purred in her deep gravelly voice. Beast Boy could feel the hairs stand on the back of his neck as she pulled off the top of his Doom Patrol costume. He gave her a lustful smile.

"I love you Rae."

She replied with an expressionless poker face.

"Talk is cheap Gar, what do intend to do prove to me that's true?" She replied with a hint of a smile.

Sometimes he just couldn't believe how lucky he was.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Nara sat in her office, impatiently drumming her fingers on the exotic wood desk in her office. She had inherited the position of Chief of Security from her late mother. After dealing with Raven she was determined to track down this so called Terra Markov and teach her that no one messes with the Matriarchs, no one.

He brooding was interrupted by her intercom which buzzed itself to life. She then heard her aide and receptionist's voice.

"Ragithra is here Mistress. She has three aliens with her … one of them is male."

"Send them in, and don't allow anyone to interrupt us, have I made myself clear?"

"Yes Mistress."

The heavy wooden door opened and the statuesque Ragithra, an alien from a world of Amazon like women, standing 6 and half feet tall entered. She was followed by another woman who was almost as tall as her as well as a much shorter woman and a man who was about 6 feet tall.

"No one is to know about this meeting Neely. There is to be no record of it."

"Yes Mistress, I understand. If any asks for you I will tell them you are away." She replied as she closed the door behind her.

Nara sized up the three Earthlings. The male was familiar to her as she had personally gone over his dossier before contacting him on Earth. The other two were unknowns. She turned to Slade.

"You are unusually tall for an Earth female."

Slade weighed his options. He could persist in his deception and risk getting caught. Instead he reached inside his cloak, keeping his holoring out of view and deactivated it, revealing his true persona.

"You will forgive me for the disguise. It simplified my entry into your realm."

Nara nodded.

"It is understandable … Slade Wilson. Normally your deception would not go unpunished … but these are not normal times. From what I read in your dossier you have a long running grudge with Raven and her band of Earthly superheroes. Since you may be very useful to me I will overlook this indiscretion. But before we get past the pleasantries, would you mind introducing me to your companion?"

Terra felt a mild wave of panic course through her body. She knew that there was a price on her head, a very big one. If Nara found out who she really was, the one responsible for her mother's death, things would get ugly and fast. She would have to put her trust in Slade and his state of the art holorings.

"This is my current apprentice, Lisa Ashmore."

Nara brought Slade's dossier up on her computer screen and quickly glanced at it.

"You wouldn't happen to know a certain Terra Markov, would you Wilson? Or do you prefer to be called Deathstroke?"

"Just call me Slade your Excellence. As for Miss Markov, she is a business associate of mine back on Earth. She has an unhealthy obsession with the green changeling and she vanished a few days ago. I believe she is still in Azarath, stalking Raven and Beast Boy. Locating her is a secondary objective of my mission here; the primary objective of course is to serve the Council."

Nara eyed Terra carefully. Slade's holoring worked its charm and the young Matriarch was unable to discern that the woman who stood before her was Terra Markov.

"Tell me about your skills Miss Ashmore."

Terra gathered herself, now relieved that she had not been exposed.

"Slade has trained me in most of Earth's martial arts and a few alien ones as well. I am also trained by Slade in the use of combat weaponry and military strategy and tactics."

"She is deadly and efficient your Excellence. I brought her with me for this very reason."

Nara noticed that Deadshot had a smug look on his face.

"Is there something you wish to share with us, assassin?" Nara asked.

Slade and Terra wondered if the marksman would expose Terra.

"I just think you're wasting your time with them. Slade has never been able to defeat the Titans."

"Don't underestimate them." Terra growled. "They aren't a bunch of clueless politicians or billionaires. They aren't your usual targets."

Nara cleared her throat.

"Speaking of which, we need to discuss the terms of how you will dispose of them."

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

The mood in the huge living room of Raven's apartment was jubilant. Starfire had taken it upon herself to organize the celebration and after summoning Tower staff the room was decorated. There was a cake, food and beverages for the celebration. All that was missing was Raven and Beast Boy.

Cyborg was drooling, as the food smelled good and his stomach began to rumble in anticipation. He reached for one of the platters and was surprised when an orange hand slapped him on the wrist, which he instinctively withdrew.

"Star! Why'd you do that for?"

The Tamaranian crossed her arms and frowned at the tin man.

"We may not proceed with the celebration until the guests of honor are present!"

"Guests of honor? You mean Raven and BB?"

"That is correct Cyborg, on Tamaran to do so is considered an insult to them."

"Oh c'mon Star. This isn't Tamaran."

"That is correct friend, but I am the hostess."

Cyborg sighed and his stomach voiced its displeasure with having to wait with a loud growl.

"They've been locked in their room for an hour … this is stupid … I'm gonna get them before the food gets cold." He said as he charged at their door, ready to rap on it.

The tin man felt a titanium like grip on his hand, which yanked him back with a jerk.

"You will do no such thing." Starfire growled.

"I won't? Why?"

The Tamaranian rolled her eyes.

"Is it not obvious friend?"

"Uh … no."

"They are engaging in conjugal relations."

"Conju what?" He asked before becoming wide eyed.

"No way! I mean how would you even know?"

The princess shook her head dismissively.

"Trust me, I know."

As if on cue, the door slid open and the Roths/Logans emerged from their room. They both had a content look on their faces and their body language indicated that they were relaxed. Cyborg began to use the different sensors built into his artificial eye to examine them.

He noticed that their body temperatures were slightly elevated and their heart rates were higher than normal. He then scanned their exposed skin and found residues of soap and moisture.

"So they showered." He muttered under his breath as he felt a powerful hand slap him on the back side of his head.

"I know what you are doing. You will stop and respect their privacy." The princess growled.

"You're no fun." Cyborg complained.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Nara cleared her throat.

"Speaking of which, we need to discuss the terms of how you will dispose of them."

"I have my techniques" Deadshot replied. "You just tell me who and I will take care of them."

"That is not what I meant." Nara replied. "I'm going to deliver them to you so that you may terminate them, all of them."

"All of them?" Terra asked. "Wouldn't Raven be enough?"

"All of them. 100,000 gold pieces if you succeed. I expect you to work as a team and you can divide the bounty as you see fit, but you will only be paid if all 5 Titans are eliminated."

"But why?" The disguised Geomancer replied. "Raven is the head of the movement. Killing all 5 of them will be … harder. Is it really necessary?"

"It is. If any of them survive our authority will remain challenged. Sparing any of them is not an option. Only once the Matriarchs of imposed their authority and reestablish control will the citizenry return."

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

OK, a quick chapter just so you know I'm not neglecting you.

Terra is in pickle isn't she? Nara wants BB dead.

Mailbag time:

**GreenRock** - "With so many assassains aiming to take out all the Titans, it's a wonder how those five are going to get back to Earth unscathed. Also, because of that spoiler at the end, it ahs thrown question marks as to who Deadshot is going to eliminate (so to speak)."

_Well, we now know that Nara has her own agenda._

**hot dog285** - "well, I had a funny feeling that was going to happen, now the question is, "how many pieces will he be in after he gets caught?" my money is on at least seven"

_Maybe I should start a pool._

**The Cretin** - "It's cool that Deadshot's in this story. On another note, I think you've set the stage for some major chaos. I like that. Chaos is good. This story really always got me wondering about social issues. I wanna hate the matriarchs for how they treat BB and men in general. At the same time I imagine that they only do what they feel they must. Kudos on writing this. If you were to ever enter the realm of sci-fi professionaly then I think you would do really well."

_Nah, I'm just a hack._

**titanfan45** - "Nara seems determined to sign her own death warrant. The Titans are going to have their hands full with the 3 assassins from earth."

_She's definitely up to something._

**bordom**-kills - "haha dude your last to updates have been great and deathstoke with dead shoot dude you jus made things insanely dificult for the titans cant wait to see how they get themselves out of this one xD"

_And to make things worse, Nara is up to no good. The Matriarchs are willing to surrender, but she isn't._

**AkumaKami64** - "So the Council is smarter than I originally thought. I'll be honest, I'm dieing at this point for BB to do SOMETHING to make the Azarathians crap themselves. Hmm, Beast is going to come out before this is over, isn't he?

You're concidering writing an Evil BB! Sweet!

Deathshot will kill...Arella? "

_I ain't telling!_

**gamehead64** - "it didn't hit me until I read some comics but cy and bb have this father/son bigbro/littlebro relationship. CY is usually there 4 bb whenever a problems come EXAMPLE bb tells cy his recent disaster with raven and cy tells him if it was easy would it be worth it. later on cy is attacked and almost killed by vigilante? bb nearly tramples raven 2 get vigilante and nearly kills him. It is a nice change 2 see cy confide in bb for once although I'd hate 2 see what would happen to the SOB that kills vic while garfield is around"

_Intrigue is in the air._

**Hairul The Nightrage Beast** - "Finally an update, so things just gets more interesting with Deadshot, Terra and Slade in the foray, and yeah prolly quote from the movie Salieri on Raven and Nara "From Now On, We're Enemies, You and I." from the intro of Children Of Bodom's Warheart."

_Terra is in a difficult spot, the line between enemies and friends becomes blurry._

**Primu** - "Finally ! though I have a feeling that those mercenaries are not going to be very happy with Council decision..."

_They got paid off._

**FelynxTiger** - "i thought the council was going to be defeat it just like that buut Nara will totally nake things more interesting!

i like the small conversation that cy and gar had XD i think all men is wondering that :p

see u next ch."

_Its kind of fun to make BB the "worldly" Titan._


	22. Nara

The victory celebration was winding down in Raven's apartment. The Roth Tower security staff, which had helped run the command center during the brief civil war, had left after politely excusing themselves as soon as the celebration began. Arella was pacing around the room, studying her daughter's friends.

First of all there was the Tamaranian princess, who puzzled Arella with her puppy like innocence. The Matriarch had once met the girl's sister at an official diplomatic function on an alien world inhabited by disgusting slug like creatures. The girl was also a princess of Tamaran, but unlike her sister she was cunning and devious, which in Arella's opinion was how princesses should be.

She then turned her focus on the bionic man, who wouldn't stop stuffing his face with food. He certainly wasn't of royal upbringing, not with his manners or disposition. She found him loud and boisterous and a boor as well.

The masked boy, she could tell that while he wasn't of royal blood, he had been raised correctly, most likely in a household of privilege, as he knew how to behave properly at a party. That, and the fact that he was in some sort of relationship with the alien princess demonstrated that he had some class.

Arella then switched her gaze to a small couch, where her daughter was engaged in some very Earthlike exchange of affection with her First. Sshe recalled that in North America their behavior would be called 'petting' in polite circles, and 'making out' amongst the less refined. Either way she was disturbed by their immodest exchange, which they were engaging in rather shamelessly.

"Yo! You guys need to get a room!" The Titan known as Cyborg shouted at them.

For once Arella agreed with the oversized youth. She shook her head as she tried to fathom her daughter's choice. She had not only chosen a pauper to be her first, but it was painfully obvious that the green boy had even less class than the loud mouthed mechanical lad. And worst of all, Raven had descended to his level.

In the eyes of their teammates the Chromatically Challenged Couple™ were only engaging in a modest and chaste kissing session. Raven was sitting on her husband's lap as they exchanged tender kisses in front of their friends, which was a big step for her. Still, such behavior was not acceptable nor the norm in polite Azarathian society and it made the senior violet haired Matriarch feel very uncomfortable. As she stewed in her own juices she was interrupted by an assistant who had quietly entered the apartment.

"Mistress, they have arrived." The uniformed woman informed her in a deferential tone.

Without turning to face the woman, Arella replied.

"Have them wait in my penthouse, and make sure that the proper pleasantries are extended to them. Raven and I will be over shortly."

"Yes Mistress." She replied before hurrying back out of the apartment.

Arella sighed, knowing what she had to do. She marched over to the couch where her daughter was continuing with her 'celebration'. Raven gave no indication that she was aware of her mother's presence. Growing impatient, Arella cleared her throat. Raven stopped kissing her husband and without turning to face Arella she replied.

"Yes mother?"

Summoning all her willpower, the taller Roth kept her cool and replied.

"They have arrived, we must go meet them."

Raven gave Beast Boy one more kiss before getting up.

"Duty calls Gar." She purred to him. "I'll be back as soon as I can."

The two women walked out of the spacious apartment, and as soon as the door slid shut behind them, Arella finally spoke her mind.

"Do you really love him that much, or are you behaving so shamelessly just to embarrass me?"

Raven didn't reply immediately and soon they reached the entrance to Arella's penthouse.

"Did you ever love a man?" She asked her mother.

"I can't say that I have." She replied. "And I'm surprised that you do."

"I guess I'm lucky that way."

Arella placed her hand on a palm reader and the dual sliding doors to her penthouse opened. The two violet haired Matriarchs then entered Arella's private abode.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

The scene felt eerily reminiscent to Raven. The large dining room table in her mother's quarters was flanked with women dressed in white. Unlike the previous occasion, half of the women were relatively young, unlike the last time when their mothers were still alive. Raven entered first and took her place at the head of the table, as she was still the Head Matriarch. Nara was seated at the far end of the table and she smiled sweetly at Raven.

Once Raven and Arella were seated Mayra cleared her throat. The portly Matriarch stood up, with a sheaf of papers in her hand.

"Raven, as you already know, we are prepared to discuss the terms of reconciliation between the Council and the House of Roth. First of all …"

Raven kept her signature expressionless face, devoid of all her emotion, as she interrupted Mayra.

"There is nothing to discuss."

The Matriarchs began to murmur amongst themselves as their worst fears began to come true. Nara leaned back in her chair and sighed.

"Raven, you can't be serious!" Mayra complained.

"I am always serious in such matters. My demands are simple."

The room fell silent, as they collectively waited for Raven to drop the boom on them.

"First item: The Chamber of Deputies will be the equal of the Council in passing legislation."

An older woman jumped to her feet.

"Now see here young lady, there's no way we will share our authority with rabble."

Raven narrowed her eyes at the woman.

"Sit down and be quiet, or I will personally remove you from this meeting."

The woman glared at Raven, but complied with her demand, silently returning to her seat.

"Second item: The Mayor's office will no longer be ceremonial. The mayor will have veto power over legislation unless overridden by a two thirds majority in both the Council and Chamber."

A collective groan was heard around the table.

"Third item: The Houses will now pay income tax on their profits, at a flat rate of 35%. Half of that will be spent at the sole discretion of the Chamber of Deputies."

"Raven, you can't be serious!" Another woman complained.

The gray Matriarch ignored the protest.

"Fourth and final item: Over a five year period equal rights for men will be phased in. Husbands will no longer be subordinate to their wives. Polygamy will also be abolished, with existing marriages grandmothered."

The room exploded in protests and complaints.

"Absolutely not! Out of the question!"

"Have you lost your mind?"

"Are you trying to destroy the Azarathian way of life Raven, do you have any idea of what this will do?"

Raven stared at the Matriarchs, who were now all on their feet, still shouting their protests. After a few minutes the women fell silent and Raven finally spoke.

"As I said there is nothing to discuss." She said as she threw a folder on the table.

"These are the amendments to the Articles of Confederation. I want them approved by tomorrow, when I will sign them in public. I suggest you get these voted on. If not I will have no other choice other than to make good on my threat."

"You're bluffing Raven; you'd never destroy Azarath, where would the people live?"

Raven stared down the woman.

"I'll take them to Earth if necessary. They will be easily absorbed into the population."

Mayra picked up the folder with the proposed amendments.

"You'll regret doing this Raven, the house of Roth is finished, there won't be any bailouts for you."

Raven stood up and walked out of the room. She stopped and without turning around she addressed the assembled Matriarchs.

"I want the changes ready for me to sign by noon."

Nara ran after her before the door slid shut.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

"Raven, wait!"

Raven cringed; she had no desire to chat with Nara.

"What do you want, Nara?"

The young Matriarch caught up with Raven.

"That's no way to talk to a friend!"

Raven replied in her deadpan voice.

"Aren't you being presumptuous?"

"Oh come on, we played together as children."

Raven recalled her childhood days, before she was banished to the monastery and Azar's supervision. Nara and a few other girls had briefly socialized with her back then, that is until Raven scared them with her out of control powers. Nara had been the recipient of the demoness's wrath more than once, which is why she was eventually shunned and sent into inner exile with the monks. But if there was anything Raven was certain of, it was that she didn't play with anyone. At times she watched the other girls play, with dolls when they were very young, then role playing as Matriarchs when they got older. She knew back that she was an outsider, different. She had powers that they lacked and unlike them, she was gray from head to toe.

"Get to the point Nara, what do you want?"

"I'd like to meet the princess."

Raven sensed deception from the young Matriarch.

"Since when do you have any interest in my friends, especially Starfire?"

"I've met her sister once."

"I'll save you the effort, they're nothing alike."

"Oh come on Raven, for old times' sake?"

Raven sighed before replying.

"Nara, we have no 'old times'. You didn't like me when we were children, or have you forgotten?"

"Maybe I want to make amends?"

Raven eyed the young woman carefully. What did she really want?

"Fine Nara, but under one condition."

"Name it."

"I will also introduce you to the male members of my team, and you will treat them with courtesy and respect, especially my husband."

Nara cocked her head as she listened to Raven's offer.

"This really means a lot to you, right?"

"It does."

Nara cracked a well rehearsed and phony smile.

"For you Raven, anything."

"Then come with me." Raven replied, already wondering if this was a mistake.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

The four Titans were finishing with the post party cleanup process when the two young Matriarchs entered the apartment. The first thing that Nara noticed was that Starfire was in the kitchen, stacking dirty dishes into the bussing bins, and she was unable to stifle a gasp that leaped unwillingly out of her throat.

"Y-your highness, what are you doing?" She nearly shrieked.

Nara was able to see the family resemblance between the Tamaranian and her sister Blackfire, the similar builds, the facial features, there was no doubt that the two were sisters. Yet here was the Crown Princess of Tamaran, bussing dirty dishes like a scullery maid. Nara swallowed hard as she contained her indignation, and turned to Raven.

"So this is the end result of Earth 'culture'? A princess behaving as if she was a mere servant? Is this what you want for Azarath, Raven?"

Raven gave Nara a subtle frown.

"First of all, there is no such thing as Earth culture. Earth is composed of thousands of distinct cultures, and many are as bigoted as Azarathian culture. Secondly, we are all equals in Titans Tower; there is no rank of royalty between us. Thirdly, Starfire helps with the chores because she wishes to help." Raven muttered so that Starfire wouldn't hear.

"How very enlightened." Nara replied as she approached the princess.

She stopped before Starfire and curtseyed, in the traditional Azarathian style, with her arms spread wide and her feet pointing in opposite directions, with her heels touching.

"Your highness, I welcome you to Azarath."

Starfire giggled.

"Please, we are not on Tamaran, call me Starfire."

"Yes, princess Starfire."

"No, no, just Starfire. But we have not been introduced."

Nara had seen enough. This girl was nothing like her sister. It was self evident she was naïve, trusting and foolish, which made complete sense to Nara. Blackfire would never consider men to be equals. Still there was more to learn.

"My name is Nara, and I'm Raven's childhood friend. I understand that like your sister you are trained as a warrior. I know firsthand of her prowess. Are all Tamaranians as powerful as she is?"

Starfire shook her head.

"No, those of the Royal family have powers that ordinary Tamaranians lack. At this time, only my sister and I have these powers. I suppose that we are the comparable warriors…"

"No way Star! You kicked her butt, you're the better warrior." Cyborg shouted.

Nara made a mental note of the girl's skills.

"Nara, allow me to introduce you to Robin. He is our team leader and is also my boyfriend."

"Forgive me Starfire; I'm unfamiliar with the term 'boyfriend', perhaps you could clarify?"

"She's courting him." Raven clarified.

"I see." Nara replied.

She then turned to Robin.

"I welcome you, Robin of the Teen Titans. What are your powers?"

Robin looked the young Matriarch in the eye, and could see the incredible discomfort she was attempting to hide, as she was unaccustomed to socializing with men.

"I have none."

"I see, so your contributions to the team lie elsewhere?"

"You could say that."

She then addressed the Tin Man.

"I have never seen a male like you before."

"Yeah, I'm one of a kind. The name's Cyborg. Pleased to meet you, little lady."

Cyborg extended his mechanical hand to Nara, who just stared at it.

"Men and women don't shake hands in Azarath, Cyborg." Raven informed him.

"Oh, sorry!" He apologized as he withdrew his hand.

"I see that you have mechanical prostheses on your body. Do they give you super strength?"

"Darn right they do!"

"I see, you must be an accomplished warrior."

"You could say that."

Finally Nara turned to Beast Boy.

"I am familiar with Beast Boy's abilities. It is nice to see you again Garfield. I hope that Raven treats you well."

"I can't complain."

Nara's communicator beeped, and she opened it, reading the message on its screen.

"I'm afraid that I must leave, as my delegation is leaving. Raven, will your team be with you when you signed the amendments into law tomorrow?"

"I wouldn't have it any other way."

"Wonderful! I will see you tomorrow then. Raven, Starfire, Robin, Cyborg, Garfield, I wish you a good night."

Nara turned and left the apartment. As she walked out the door she texted a message on her communicator: _They will all be together tomorrow. This might be your only chance. She must not be allowed to sign the ammendments_

Back in Raven's apartment Cyborg gave the sorceress a quizzical look.

"Was she really your friend?"

Raven frowned.

"No, she wasn't, and I have no idea of why she wanted to meet you. I'm sensing something wrong, something … bad. We need to be extra careful."

"You don't think she's up to something, do you Raven?" Robin asked.

"I'm not sure, but this is Azarath, and until I sign those amendments anything could happen."

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

I know, I've been keeping you waiting far too long. What can I say, I've been busy.

If you haven't already done so, check out my Teen Titans/Young Justice crossover story "Birds of a Feather Flock Together?" It's posted in the Young Justice section, or just go to my profile page, the link to that story is there. If you haven't already done so, let me know what you think.

No mailbag today (sorry).


	23. The flying bullet

The room was silent, dark and tranquil. While Beast Boy slept peacefully, snoring softly curled up next to his mate, Raven tossed and turned in their bed. She grabbed her alarm clock and after pressing the light button she confirmed that it was almost 5AM and that Seraph would soon rise and bathe Azarath in its warm amber glow.

Sleep had eluded Raven throughout most of the night and she watched with envious eyes as he slept like a log. The arms of Morpheus eluded her as she had been unable to rest that night. She simply couldn't stop worrying about Nara's visit. It felt so artificial, so non-spontaneous. She sense duplicity in the Matriarch, it worried her and for good reason.

After being shuffled off to the monastery Raven had a few follow up encounters with Nara, when the girl came to the monastery to receive special instruction from one of the nuns, who taught her the language of Salamandron. They were both ten years old at the time, but Raven had already noticed that Nara was different from the other girls.

The young girl was ambitious and greedy. Raven overheard some of the monks and nuns discuss this character flaw that Nara had, and they concluded that it was inevitable as she was going to be a Matriarch some day. They of course, had been correct, and it did not go unnoticed by Raven that Nara did not mourn her mother at all. The other heiresses kept a public face as hard as flint, but she recalled after Terra's botched attack, in the privacy of the Hall of Matriarchs that many did indeed weep for their mothers.

But Nara never did.

The gray sorceress rolled over in their bed, searching in vain for some peace that would allow her to sleep, but she was troubled, as a vague and amorphous premonition haunted her. Finally, at her wit's end and out of patience she sat up and began to climb out of the bed, deciding to give meditation a chance to calm her perturbed mind.

Her escape was aborted when a firm but gentle hand gripped her wrist.

"Where ya goin Rae?" A sleepy voice asked.

Raven dropped down next to Beast Boy and he gently pulled her into a soft embrace.

"Whatsa matter?" He asked.

"I don't know."

"You're worried about tomorrow, aren't you?"

"Yes." She replied in a whispered hush.

"You're worried about Nara."

"It's that obvious, huh?"

He ran his fingers through her hair.

"Yeah, it is. But you shouldn't worry. You're gonna sign in the new law tomorrow. Then you're gonna resign and we'll go home."

"Home?" She murmured. "Do we still have one? We came here to beg for money to save the team … it's not going to happen, Gar. The Titans … are finished."

He pulled her closer to him.

"We'll deal with that when we get home." He replied with a kiss. "Rumors of our demise have been greatly exaggerated."

"Since when do you read Mark Twain?"

"Who's Mark Twain? I read that in a comic book." He snickered.

Raven playfully smacked him, knowing well that he was pulling her leg.

"It's time to get up Gar; we have a big day ahead of us."

"It's still 7 hours until the signing, let's get some sleep."

He pulled her even closer, wrapping his arms around her.

"OK." She replied as she rested her head on his shoulder.

In just a few minutes they were both asleep.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

The air limousine glided silently after taking off from Roth Tower, an island of tranquility in the Azarathian sky, which was gray and overcast. The five Titans sat solemnly in the passenger compartment, while Arella spoke with the driver, giving her last minute instructions.

The three male Titans were dressed in gray cassocks, which displeased them. It didn't matter to them that a special dispensation was being made so that they could be with Raven in the Hall of Matriarchs when she delivered her speech and signed the landmark legislation into law. They knew that the gray outfits were a sign of oppression, a final jab by the Council which had insisted they be worn.

Starfire was attired in her Tamaranian warrior garb, including her signature 'M' shaped face crown. She sat quietly so as not to disturb Raven, who was practicing delivering the speech she finished writing that morning, quietly muttering the words she read, practicing the inflection and emphasis points.

It only took the armored flying limo a few minutes to reach the Hall of Matriarchs and it made a full circle around it prior to making its final approach and landing on the roof, where an honor guard of tall Amazon like women awaited them, standing at attention with statue like steadiness as they presented their huge swords in salute to the Head Matriarch.

Arella was the first to disembark, followed by Raven and Starfire. The Tamaranian looked around vigilantly, looking for anything that might appear to be out of place. The three males emerged last and repeated Starfire's sweep using their abilities and skills. Robin used a tiny pair of binoculars to scan locations he had predetermined to be high risk. Beast Boy used his animal senses while Cyborg used his built in scanners.

"We're clear." Cyborg pronounced.

"Good. Stay sharp." Robin replied as they entered the access door to the building and entered a large elevator. "Raven, you should raise one of your shields while you give yours speech, you're gonna be a sitting duck."

The gray sorceress turned around and replied in her monotone.

"No Robin, the people need to see that I'm not afraid. If I hide behind a shield they'll be afraid, and the Matriarchs will take advantage of that."

"I still don't like it." Robin grumbled.

They elevator ride was quick and when the doors opened another honor guard of 4 warriors met them. The four women led them through the building, down the long and ornate hallway. Having been raised in Wayne Manor and the social circles where Bruce rubbed shoulders, Robin was used to being surrounded by luxury and even opulence, but what he saw during the brief walk to the balcony left him stunned. The ostentatious display of wealth put to shame anything he had seen on Earth. The amount of gold leaf and precious gems present in the furniture, picture frames, ceiling and walls was overwhelming. To their credit the three male Titans kept a straight face the entire time. Soon enough they reached the balcony.

The large balcony faced the city's main plaza, which was full of Azarathians, many who had returned from their self imposed exile when they fled the civil war.

The plaza was flanked by the Hall of Deputies, the city's administrative building and at its opposite end the city's second tallest building, eclipsed only by Roth Tower, the gleaming Bank of Azarath building.

Raven approached a podium that was set up on the balcony, with her husband standing at her right and Starfire at her left. She raised her hand acknowledging the crowd, which roared its approval. Raven continued to wave to the crowd, which finally settled down after a few minutes.

While Raven placed her printed speech on the podium and cleared her throat, Beast Boy and Starfire scanned the surroundings looking for any sign of trouble.

"My fellow Azarathians today is a great day for our noble city…" Raven began.

It was at that moment that Starfire and Beast Boy saw it. In one of the upper floors in the bank building their super sharp eyes saw the tip of a rifle barrel poking out between some drawn curtains. What they saw next froze their hearts: a flash emerged from the end of the rifle barrel.

Beast Boy pushed Raven as hard and fast as he could, shoving her head with his hand, knowing that it was the likely target and hoping he was fast enough. Unfortunately he wasn't.

Starfire reacted as well, and her hand shot out as well, but in front of Raven in a super human blur. Beast Boy heard the tell tale buzzing sound of a flying bullet which ceased near the vicinity of Raven's head. He felt a lump in his stomach as he crashed onto the ground, landing on top of Raven, fearing the worst.

"Gar, what the hell are you doing?" She barked at him.

It was then that a gun report echoed throughout the urban canyon, followed by the sound of a second bullet flying through the balcony. It was then that Raven noticed the Starfire was clutching her hand and wincing in pain.

"Raven, raise your shield!" She heard Robin bark over the pandemonium that engulfed the balcony. She was a step ahead of him and the dark hemisphere appeared, shielding the 5 Titans.

"Starfire, your hand?" Raven croaked, as she saw orange alien blood begin to drip from the still clenched fist.

Starfire opened her hand. The bullet was partially lodged in her palm, which was heavily damaged by the projectile which carved a long and deep gash in her hand.

"Sometimes … I wish … I was … a Kryptonian." The princess moaned between pained breaths.

Raven carefully removed the partially impacted bullet and clasped Starfire's wounded hand between her own two hands and the healing blue light appeared. There had been no more shots after the second one, which had clearly been off target.

Meanwhile, Robin was scanning the surroundings for the gunman. He quickly found the shattered windows the gunman had fired through, but the assassin was no longer there. He instinctively scanned the top of the building and he saw a floating boulder.

"It's Terra!" Robin shrieked.

OK, a really short chapter, but I've kept you waiting forever.


	24. Aftermath

As promised, the door to the office was unlocked and the room was unoccupied. It was an ordinary office, belonging to a mid level manager at the bank. Her desk was neat and tidy, with a large family portrait standing next to her computer monitor, and some of her children's school "artwork" hanging from one of the walls. In other words, it was an office identical to so many others.

The stealth invader silently and calmly set up shop, placing his titanium clad briefcase on the desk. Using a digital magnetic key he unlocked it, flipping it open and revealing its contents: a disassembled sniper's rifle, which he began to assemble at a calm and unhurried pace. His demeanor was relaxed; he even moderately pleased as he snapped the firearm together, humming contentedly. He completed the task as he mounted the massive scope on top of the weapon, which locked into position with a firm click. He gave the gun a final inspection, and once satisfied he set it aside.

He gently parted the drapes and looked down at the balcony that was opposite from him across the plaza. It was still unoccupied except by a couple of honor guards, which was what he expected. He then turned back to the titanium biefcase and removed an empty clip and a small wooden box, which he opened.

The box contained five bullets, each of which had a name engraved on it: Raven Roth, Beast Boy, Robin, Starfire and Cyborg. He loaded the bullets into the clip which he snapped into the rifle, which he then primed, loading the first bullet into the chamber.

After checking his watch he once again peered between the drawn curtains. They had arrived, on schedule. The violet haired girl was standing at the podium, shuffling some papers and was flanked by her green husband and the Tamaranian, just as his benefactor had said. He then tapped his earpiece, bringing it to life.

"Is everything clear from your vantage point Slade?"

"It is." Slade replied. "Should anything go wrong Terra will deliver the coup de grace."

Deadshot chuckled.

"Nothing will go wrong Slade. You know I never miss."

"Don't underestimate the Titans. With them involved, a backup plan is always in order."

"You worry too much Slade."

"And you don't worry enough."

"Whatever." Deadshot replied with a sneer. "It's show time."

The hired assassin collected his rifle. His plan was to fire the five bullets in quick succession. Raven was his first target, but all five Titans would be dead before she hit the floor. He almost felt bad about shooting them, they were so young, and none of them were even twenty years old. But this was business, and there was nothing personal about what he was about to do. It was their own fault for becoming a thorn in the side of his benefactors, and it had nothing to do with him. He had a job to do and he was going to do it.

Barely parting the curtains he aimed his rifle at the podium. His first shot would be going through the glass pane at a slight angle and he would compensate for that. Peering though his scope he placed Raven in the crosshairs, the hollow point bullet would hit her just below her chakra stone and expand inside her head, blowing her entire brains out of the back of her head which would explode in a bloody mess. While he was a professional, he took pride in being merciful. His victims never knew they had been shot and killed, not even for a split second.

He waited for Raven to begin her speech, knowing that she and her teammate wouldn't move around as she delivered it, making his job much easier. After killing Raven he would eliminate Beast Boy, Starfire, Robin and finally Cyborg, all within 3.7 seconds.

As expected, the violet haired girl's voice began to echo in the large plaza. It was time.

Deadshot focused his aim on Raven and pulled the trigger, after which he refocused his aim at the changeling, who for some reason was moving towards his wife. It was of no consequence, even if it meant a 0.3 second delay in getting the second shot off, as he had to compensate for the green hero's rapid movement.

The green fool's head was squarely in his crosshairs as he began to pull the trigger … and was hit in the back of his head with what felt like a brick. The shot of course, was lost as was his tempo as he fell forward, seeing stars as he tried to recover, which he did after a few seconds. His mind still focused on the job and as he looked through the scope his heart sank when he saw the black, translucent hemisphere protecting all five Titans. He then veered around to see what had happened.

"Markov! Did you do that! Have you lost your mind?" He shouted as he flung several razor sharp shuriken in her direction. "You just cost me my share of the bounty!"

Terra dodged his attacked and ran away while he gave chase. He fired at her as she ducked into a stairwell, summoning a concrete platform to carry her up to the building's rooftop, which also shielded her from his bullets.

"Terra, what's going on? Report!" She heard Slade through her earpiece, which she removed and tossed aside.

Within moments both she and Deadshot emerged onto the bank's rooftop. He produced a small sub-machinegun from his overcoat and began firing at the geomancer while Slade watched. With a gesture Terra peeled off a section of the building's concrete rooftop and used it as a shield. After Deadshot expended his ammo she slammed the shield into him, sending him rolling onto floor.

Slade watched the scene unfold, and using his enhanced mental abilities he saw it in the equivalent of slow motion. Deadshot rolled three times on the floor when Slade saw him reach for a small 9 mm pistol he had holstered on his thigh. Then while still rolling he got a shot off from his hip.

Terra never saw it coming. The bullet hit her square between the eyes and the hollow point bullet expanded, ripping the contents of her cranium out of a huge hole that exploded in the rear of her skull. Her expression transformed instantly from angry to blank. Her floating perch began to wobble and she fell from it, hitting the edge of the roof and tumbling over it, falling into the abyss, her limbs flopping like those of a rag doll.

Deadshot picked himself up and turned to Slade.

"What the hell was that Wilson? Why did she stop me? I had them."

Slade regarded the assassin with his single eye.

"You didn't have them. Raven survived your first shot. The Tamaranian intercepted the bullet. As for Terra, she let her feelings get in the way."

"I'm sorry I had to kill her Slade, but with all due respect, you needed a new apprentice anyway." The marksman panted.

"Terra's loss is unfortunate, but we need to leave now. The Titans have not seen us and we remain anonymous."

"But what about the contract Slade? I still have a contract to fulfill."

"The contract is lost Floyd; you won't get another chance with the Titans. I am leaving Azarath; I suggest you do the same."

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

The three male Titans watched Terra fight with her unseen opponent. The rapid fire of a machine gun was heard and it fell silent. Then after a few moments a single gunshot was heard and they gasped as Terra began to fall. Beast Boy ran to the edge of the black hemisphere and pounded on it with his fists.

"Rae, let me out! I gotta go catch Terra! She's falling!"

Raven was still healing Starfire's wounded hand, and as she turned she gave her husband the mother of all death glares.

"Have you lost your mind? That sniper is still out there! You aren't going anywhere."

Cyborg watched with his bionic eye as Terra's body tumbled as it fell, zooming in see the details.

"Forget it B, she's already dead. She had her brains blown out."

Robin then noticed that the assembled throng below in the plaza.

"Why aren't they panicking?" He asked.

Raven stood up, having done what she could for Starfire. Robin then attended his sweetheart's injuries by wrapping them in a bandage.

"Firearms are unknown in Azarath, they are considered primitive and backwards. The crowd has no idea of what just happened."

The gray sorceress resumed her place at the podium. She picked up her prepared speech, sorting the printed sheets back into their correct order. After staring at them for a moment she tossed them away, and addressed the assembled crowd.

"My fellow citizens of Azarath, you just witnessed an attempt on my life and my friends' lives. The enemy has failed and we will not back down. In a moment I will sign the reforms to our Articles of Confederation and we will have a new dawn in Azarath, a new age where the Matriarchs do not own us, where the citizenry gets to decide how Azarath is governed and run."

Raven stop speaking and picked up the elaborate ceremonial quill pen.

"Gar, I want you at my side when I sign this." She whispered to him.

He joined her at her side and Raven signed the new law into existence.

"It is done. From this point on, you are the masters of your own fate. Never forget my fellow citizens, this isn't about me, it's about you. My role here is done. I am resigning my position as Head Matriarch and will be returning to Earth with my husband and my friends. You will always be in my heart and my thoughts. Remember to be brave, as more hurdles lie ahead. The Matriarchs will no doubt try to co-opt your elected representatives with bribes. Be vigilant and don't allow that to happen."

Raven paused.

"Farewell, and remember that if you ever need my help, I will return. Azar's blessings be with you."

Raven stepped down from the podium and wrapped her arms around Beast Boy, and they shared a happy kiss.

"Let's get out of here. I'm ready to go home."

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Raven fidgeted with the bouquet of flowers in her hand.

They had returned from Azarath three weeks ago, spending one more week there before returning to Earth. In the aftermath of the reforms both Raven and Arella were expelled from the Council of Matriarchs on the grounds that their house was bankrupt. Arella sold the few remaining businesses that were profitable to other matriarchs and in its first legislative action the House of Deputies purchased the remaining assets and paid off the remaining debts. The House of Roth was renamed the House of Azarath and every citizen was issued shares in the new conglomerate. Arella was hired to run the new house as the CEO. Her salary was only twice what she used to pay her general manager and the former Matriarch had to adapt to her new post Matriarch life. Arella discarded her white robes and adopted Raven's black and blues colors for the gowns she now wore.

The House of Deputies offered the Titans some money to help them back at home. The amount offered was insufficient to keep them in the Tower and in the end Raven outright rejected the funds as she felt that Azarath had its own "Tough Times" to deal with and was in no position to offer monetary assistance to the Titans.

Raven returned her teammates to the Tower using one of her portals. Being back in Jump City had a surreal feeling to it, feeling both familiar and foreign, especially to the Logans.

Then there was the issue of Raven and Beast Boy's marriage. While they could have registered their foreign marriage with the local registrar, Raven would have none of that, which is why she was standing outside the common room, with Starfire and Bumblebee at her side while she wore a white wedding gown.

Beast Boy told her that it wasn't necessary to have a second wedding, that she didn't have to do it for him. She disagreed however. Not only was she adamant that he deserved to be married in a ceremony where they would be equals, she knew that she needed such a ceremony as well.

What she didn't understand was how she allowed Starfire to choose the wedding gown. Raven had originally planned on wearing a white version of her winter costume. When Starfire and the other female Titans got wind of that there was no way she could fend them off, and now she was wearing a silly, frilly white dress with a veil over her head.

"Are you ready Raven?" Bumblebee asked.

"Why shouldn't I be? It's the second time I've been married in less than two months."

Bumblebee smiled.

"It happens more often than you think. Girls sometimes do get married twice within a short period of time."

"To the same guy?" Raven asked.

"Yes Raven, to the same guy. Now just relax."

"I'm trying" She sighed. "Oh what was I thinking? We should have just had the first marriage registered here and be done with it."

Starfire took Raven's hands with her own. Raven was able to feel the rough scar on the Tamaranian's palm.

"I think that was glorious of you to do this for Beast Boy."

Raven nodded contritely.

"Hey girl, are you happy that Beast Boy's your husband?" Bumblebee asked.

"Of course I am! Why do you think I'm doing all this?"

The winged girl snickered.

"Then maybe you should let your face know that you're happy."

Raven sighed.

"You guys should know me by now. I don't do 'happy'."

Bumblebee shook her head disapprovingly.

"It's time Raven, whether you're ready or not."

Starfire punched the button on the wall and the doors slid open, revealing a completely transformed common room, which looked like an impromptu chapel. The room was packed with guests, who all turned around to get a good look at the bride.

For a moment Raven thought she couldn't do it, the aisle felt like a gauntlet to her and her first impulse was to walk away. But then she remembered him kneeling before her, humiliating himself in the demeaning marriage they had in Azarath. He had done that for her. Surely she reasoned, she could do this for him.

Raven gazed down the aisle and saw him standing next to the altar, with Cyborg, his best man to his left and the minister to his right. But all she saw was him. He looked radiant with joy and she thought that he had never looked so gorgeous.

"Are you ready Raven?" Robin, who was clad in a tuxedo, asked her.

"I'm ready."

Robin took her arm and led her down the aisle. The guests waved, gave her the thumbs up and even blew kisses at her. Finally Robin delivered her to the altar and withdrew to take his seat. Beast Boy, still looking radiant, whispered to her.

"I knew I would get you to smile someday."

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Another month had passed since the wedding. Slade had been inconspicuously absent during that time, but suddenly reappeared without any warning. He came to the Tower to see if the Titans would accept the "deal" he had offered them before the Azarathian adventure had begun, the one where they would literally become his employees. It was rejected unanimously by the team and Slade informed them that they had two months to vacate the Tower.

Robin's efforts at fundraising fell flat as the economy had deteriorated during their absence. Not only was he unable to raise any new pledges, some of the ones made earlier were withdrawn. After a few weeks they had to face the inevitable, the Titans would be no more.

The Titans began to make arrangements for their post Titans lives. Beast Boy and Raven decided to leave the superhero life behind altogether and they accepted a position with the United Nations. They would be stationed in Johannesburg, South Africa from where they would coordinate UNESCO operations throughout the continent.

Robin and Starfire announced their engagement. Robin also announced that he would now become Nightwing and would move with his fiancée to Bludhaven, near Gotham City, where he would become a vigilante like his former mentor Batman.

Cyborg did not announce his plans right away, but spent a great deal of time consulting privately with Raven. It wasn't until their final week in the Tower that he made his announcement.

By this point the Tower had been stripped bare of anything that wasn't city property and crates and boxes being shipped out had become a daily occurrence. What didn't happen was the reception of shipments, until Monday morning of the last week.

Beast Boy signed for the arrival and was puzzled by it. It was a crate, a very old crate. It was addressed to Cyborg and what puzzled the green Titan was that the handwriting on the box, which was very faded, appeared to be in the Tin Man's own handwriting.

Beast Boy morphed into a gorilla and lugged the crate up to the common room, where he expected to find Cyborg preparing lunch. Much to his surprise everyone was there. Cyborg had several boxes and crates piled on what looked like a high tech hay wagon.

"Hey Cyborg! A package arrived for you. By the looks of it it's really old, like something out of an Indiana Jones movie."

Cyborg grinned.

"Man! I don't believe it! It actually arrived."

Robin and Starfire inspected the crate, searching for a clue as to what its contents were.

"Dude, what is it?"

Cyborg opened the crate and removed a hermetically sealed, titanium lined box from it.

"Cyborg, isn't that one of your boxes, where you keep stuff for posterity." Robin asked.

"It sure is."

"Then why does it look so old?"

The tin man unlocked the box, which hissed as the perfect vacuum it contained in its interior filled with air.

"It has to do with where I'm going."

"So you're finally gonna tell us?" The Changeling asked.

"Yes, I am." He answered. "I'm sorry I didn't tell ya'll before, but Raven was helping me to get ready, and to be honest, we didn't know until last night if we could pull it off."

"Pull what off?" Robin asked.

"Raven's sending me back to the past. I'm going back to Sarasim's time."

The three Titans stared dumbfounded upon hearing the announcement. Beast Boy was the first to speak up.

"Dude, what about your tech. You told us there was no way for you recharge over there. And what happens if you break? Or are all those spare parts in those boxes?"

Raven stepped forward.

"Cyborg knew that his technology would be a handicap in the past. Of course the first step was finding a way to get Cyborg back to Sarasim's time. With my newer 'white raven' powers I found a way to send him back. The show stopper that remained was Cyborg's tech. That is until I found a spell, based on Brother Blood's magic, to revert Cyborg to his original human form. It's actually a single portal that performs both functions. The ideal time to open it will be in just 10 minutes."

Robin stepped forward, a frown adorning his masked face.

"Isn't this kind of hasty, not to mention risky? How do we know that you'll be OK?"

"This box that arrived is proof that things turned out OK. It's full of recordings I made, or should I say, will make in the past. Of course I shouldn't see them, but you guys can after I leave."

"Dude, you can't be serious, you're going away … forever."

Cyborg wiped away a tear.

"I know B, I'm sorry, but this is what I really want to do. You have your life with Raven now; I want my life with Sarasim."

The changeling ran up to his friend and wrapped his arms around him.

"I'm gonna miss you tin man." He sobbed.

"Me too grass stain, I'm gonna miss you too."

Robin stepped forward and hugged Cyborg as well.

"Thanks Cyborg, thanks for everything, I'll never forget you."

"Me too Rob, and you be good to Star and marry her, or I'll come back from the past and I'll kick your sorry spandex clad butt. And good luck in Bludhaven, Nightwing."

Starfire of course began to bawl when she gave Cyborg a good bye hug.

"May your offspring be plentiful." She sobbed. "I will miss you friend, and will also never forget you."

"Thanks Star. The offspring thing, I think that Sarasim will have the final word on that."

Starfire kissed him on the cheek, and finally it was Raven's turn to say good bye.

"Good luck Victor, I'm certain that you'll find the happiness you're looking for."

"Thanks Raven, be happy with the green bean, but don't take any crap from him."

"You know me better than to even be concerned about that Victor. And don't worry; I'll be good to him."

The two exchanged kisses on their cheeks as the portal began to open.

"It's right on schedule." Raven announced. "It won't stay open long, just two minutes, so hurry."

Cyborg pushed the wagon through the portal.

"Don't worry guys; I'm taking all kinds of creature comforts with me, and a bunch of solar panels to recharge the batteries."

Once the wagon was through he turned around to face his friends one last time.

"I love you guys." He choked.

He then stepped through the portal, which closed after he passed through it.

The room remained silent for several minutes until once again Beast Boy broke the silence.

"He's gone." He sniffled. "He's really gone."

Robin began to rummage through the box Cyborg left behind and found a DVD case labeled "#1". He inserted the disk into the player and Cyborg's face appeared on the giant screen, except he wasn't Cyborg anymore, he was 100% flesh and blood.

"Yo Titans! Sorry it took me so long to get started but this is my first recording."

The camera panned back, revealing Victor and a very attractive woman standing next to him who was cradling an infant in her arms.

"Guys, I want to introduce you to Sarasim. We got hitched a month after I returned. Go ahead and say hi baby."

Sarasim smiled bashfully and waved at the camera.

"Hello Raven, Beast Boy, Robin and Starfire … Victor, can they really see us?"

"They sure can sweetie. Remember how I showed you the videos I brought from the future?"

"I guess I'll take your word for it Victor."

The 4 Titans watched mesmerized, as the message in the digital bottle from the past continued to play.

"And this young lady in Sara's arms is our little girl, our first born. We named her Raven."

"Way to go tin man." Beast Boy whispered as the tears streamed down his face.

Victor continued chatting.

"Ya'll get comfy on the circular couch, cuz I got a lotta stuff to tell you."

The End

I hope this ending didn't catch any of you too off guard.

Thanks to all who followed this story and didn't just write it off as a mere rewrite of the original. Your reviews and thoughts were appreciated.


	25. Another note

Congratulations! You made to the end of this story! I know that I tend to write long stories and that not everyone likes or has the patience to read a long story, so I commend you for sticking with this tale to the bitter end.

That said, there must have been something about this story that compelled you to read it from beginning to end. All I ask of you is to leave me a single review. Tell me what you liked or didn't like about the story. Your feedback means a great deal to me, even if it's critical.

Thanks again for reading, and if you liked this story, check out my other ones as well.


End file.
